Process for removal of sulfur from components for blending of transportation fuels

• US 8,057,661 B2
• Filed: 12/22/2005
• Issued: 11/15/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IFP Energies Nouvelles
• Original Assignee: BP Corporation North America Incorporated (BP PLC)
• Inventors: Hodges, Michael Graham, Greenough, Paul, Keckler, Kenneth Paul, Knox, Thomas, Corma, Avelino
• Primary Examiner(s): Griffin; Walter
• Assistant Examiner(s): Robinson; Renee
• Application Number:
  US11/722,217
• Publication Number:
  US 20080302704A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,154 Days
• Field of Search: 208/91, 208/134, 208/254.R, 208/302
• US Class Current: 208/91
• CPC Class Codes: C07D 333/08 Hydrogen atoms or radicals containing only hydrogen and carbon atoms
• CPC Class Codes: C10G 25/05 Removal of non-hydrocarbon compounds, e.g. sulfur compounds
• CPC Class Codes: C10G 25/12 Recovery of used adsorbent
• CPC Class Codes: C10G 29/205 by reaction with hydrocarbons added to the hydrocarbon oil
• CPC Class Codes: C10G 50/00 Production of liquid hydrocarbon mixtures from lower carbon number hydrocarbons, e.g. by oligomerisation
• CPC Class Codes: C10G 53/08 including at least one sorption step
• CPC Class Codes: C10G 57/005 with alkylation
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 20/10 Process efficiency

Abstract

A process is disclosed for removing highly deleterious non-basic nitrogen compounds upstream from an acid catalyzed thiophene alkylation process using adsorbents capable of adsorbing the non-basic nitrogen compounds.

Claims

1. A process for the production of products which are liquid at ambient conditions and contain organic sulfur compounds of higher molecular weight than corresponding sulfur-containing compounds in the feedstock, which process comprises:

providing a hydrocarbon feedstock comprising material boiling between about 60°

C. and about 425°

C. comprising sulfur-containing compounds at a level of sulfur up to about 5,000 parts per million and nitrogen-containing compounds at a level of nitrogen up to about 2000 parts per million, including non-basic nitrogen-containing compounds at a level up to about 200 parts per million, and a high content of olefins of up to about 60 weight percent;

removing the non-basic nitrogen containing compounds from the aforesaid feedstock by an adsorption process to yield an effluent having a reduced amount of aforesaid non-basic nitrogen-containing compounds, wherein the adsorbent used in the adsorption process is selected from the group consisting of alkaline faujisite-type zeolites, alkaline earth faujisite-type zeolites, alkaline faujisite-type zeolites partially exchanged with H⁺ or transition metals of Groups IB, IIB, IV, VIII, and mixtures thereof, alkaline earth faujisite-type zeolites partially exchanged with H⁺ or transition metals of Groups IB, IIB, IV, VIII, and mixtures thereof, crystalline magnesium silicates, and alkaline exchanged crystalline magnesium silicates, and mixtures thereof; and

contacting the aforesaid effluent with an acidic catalyst under alkylation conditions which are effective to convert a portion of the sulfur-containing compounds to higher molecular weight and higher boiling sulfur-containing compounds through alkylation by the aforesaid olefins and to produce a liquid effluent containing such higher molecular weight and higher boiling sulfur-containing compounds.

2. The process of claim 1 wherein the adsorbent is regenerated with an organic solvent.

3. The process of claim 2 wherein the organic solvent contains one aromatic ring.

4. The process of claim 3 wherein the solvent is selected from the group consisting of benzene and alkylbenzenes having a total number of carbon atoms of eleven or less.

5. The process of claim 2 wherein the solvent is an aliphatic alcohol having twelve or less carbon atoms.

6. The process of claim 1 wherein the adsorbent is a sepiolite in the natural form or in the alkaline exchanged form.

7. A process for the production of products which are liquid at ambient conditions and contain organic sulfur compounds of higher molecular weight than corresponding sulfur-containing compounds in the feedstock, which process consists essentially of:

providing a hydrocarbon feedstock comprising material boiling between about 60°

C. and about 425°

C. comprising sulfur-containing compounds at a level of sulfur up to about 5,000 parts per million and nitrogen-containing compounds at a level of nitrogen up to about 2000 parts per million, including non-basic nitrogen-containing compounds at a level up to about 200 parts per million, and a high content of olefins of up to about 60 weight percent;

removing the non-basic nitrogen containing compounds from the aforesaid feedstock by an adsorption process to yield an effluent having a reduced amount of aforesaid non-basic nitrogen-containing compounds wherein the adsorbent used in the adsorption process is selected from the group consisting of alkaline faujisite-type zeolites, alkaline earth faujisite-type zeolite, alkaline faujisite-type zeolites partially exchanged with H⁺ or transition metals of Groups IB, IIB, IV, VIII, and mixtures thereof, alkaline earth faujisite-type zeolites partially exchanged with H⁺ or transition metals of Groups IB, IIB, IV, VIII, and mixtures thereof, crystalline magnesium silicates, and alkaline exchanged crystalline magnesium silicates, and mixtures thereof; and

contacting the aforesaid effluent with an acidic catalyst under alkylation conditions which are effective to convert a portion of the sulfur-containing compounds to higher molecular weight and higher boiling sulfur-containing compounds through alkylation by the aforesaid olefins and to produce a liquid effluent containing such higher molecular weight and higher boiling sulfur-containing compounds.