# US 10,870,068 B2 · Process and apparatus for recovering light hydrocarbons by sponge absorption > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,870,068 B2 - Document ID: US10870068B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/997,607 - Filed: 2018-06-04 - Published: 2018-10-04 - Granted: 2020-12-22 - Earliest claimed: 2015-12-29 - Assignees: Uop LLC - Applicants: Uop LLC - Inventors: Kiran Ladkat; Hemant Mahajan; Neeraj Tiwari - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10870068B2 ## CPC - B01D 3/143: {by two or more of a fractionation, separation or rectification step} - B01D 3/346: {the gas being used for removing vapours, e.g. transport gas} - B01D 53/1462: {Removing mixtures of hydrogen sulfide and carbon dioxide} - C01B 3/56: by contacting with solids; Regeneration of used solids - C10L 3/101: {Removal of contaminants} - C10L 3/12: Liquefied petroleum gas {(liquefying by pressure and cold treatment F25J)} - B01D 2256/16: Hydrogen - B01D 2256/24: Hydrocarbons - B01D 2257/108: Hydrogen - B01D 2257/702: Hydrocarbons - C01B 2203/0405: Purification by membrane separation - C01B 2203/065: using hydrotreating, e.g. hydrogenation, hydrodesulfurisation - C01B 2203/146: At least two purification steps in series - C10G 49/22: Separation of effluents - C10G 70/041: {by distillation} - C10L 3/102: {of acid contaminants} - C10L 2290/541: Absorption of impurities during preparation or upgrading of a fuel - C10L 2290/543: Distillation, fractionation or rectification for separating fractions, components or impurities during preparation or upgrading of a fuel - C10L 2290/545: Washing, scrubbing, stripping, scavenging for separating fractions, components or impurities during preparation or upgrading of a fuel - Y02P 20/151: Reduction of greenhouse gas [GHG] emissions, e.g. CO2 - B01D: SEPARATION (separating solids from solids by wet methods B03B, B03D; by pneumatic jigs or tables B03B; by other dry methods B07; magnetic or electrostatic separation of solid materials from solid materials or fluids, separation by high-voltage electric fields B03C; centrifuges, vortex apparatus B04; presses per se for squeezing-out liquid from liquid-containing material B30B9/02; treatment of water C02F, e.g. softening by ion-exchange C02F1/42; {arrangements of air intake cleaners in gas turbine plants F02C7/05} ; arrangements or mounting of filters in air-conditioning, air-humidification or ventilation F24F13/28) - C01B: NON-METALLIC ELEMENTS; COMPOUNDS THEREOF; {METALLOIDS OR COMPOUNDS THEREOF NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASS C01C} - C10L: FUELS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; NATURAL GAS; SYNTHETIC NATURAL GAS OBTAINED BY PROCESSES NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASSES C10G OR C10K; LIQUIFIED PETROLEUM GAS; USE OF ADDITIVES TO FUELS OR FIRES; FIRE-LIGHTERS - C10G: CRACKING HYDROCARBON OILS; PRODUCTION OF LIQUID HYDROCARBON MIXTURES, e.g. BY DESTRUCTIVE HYDROGENATION, OLIGOMERISATION, POLYMERISATION (cracking to hydrogen or synthesis gas C01B; cracking or pyrolysis of hydrocarbon gases to individual hydrocarbons or mixtures thereof of definite or specified constitution C07C; cracking to cokes C10B); RECOVERY OF HYDROCARBON OILS FROM OIL-SHALE, OIL-SAND, OR GASES; REFINING MIXTURES MAINLY CONSISTING OF HYDROCARBONS; REFORMING OF NAPHTHA; MINERAL WAXES - Y02P: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PRODUCTION OR PROCESSING OF GOODS ## Abstract A gas stream comprising LPG and naphtha hydrocarbons is absorbed with a sponge absorbent to recover LPG and naphtha hydrocarbons. The gas stream may comprise stripper off gas and/or PSA tail gas. An absorbent stream may be a stripped stream. The stripper off gas stream and the stripped stream may be obtained from a stripper that is downstream of a hydroprocessing unit. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A process for recovering hydrogen and hydrocarbons comprising: adsorbing impurities from hydrogen in a gaseous stream to provide a hydrogen stream and a tail gas stream comprising hydrocarbons; absorbing LPG hydrocarbons from said tail gas stream to produce an absorbent stream and an absorption stream comprising LPG and hydrogen; and absorbing LPG hydrocarbons from said absorption stream to provide an absorption off-gas stream and a hydrocarbon-rich absorption stream. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The process of claim 1 further comprising hydroprocessing a hydrocarbon feed stream in a hydroprocessing reactor to provide a hydroprocessing effluent stream; and separating said hydroprocessing effluent stream to provide said gaseous stream and a liquid stream. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The process of claim 2 further comprising stripping said liquid stream to provide a stripped hydroprocessed stream and absorbing LPG hydrocarbons from said absorption stream by contact with said stripped hydroprocessed stream. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The process of claim 3 wherein stripping said liquid stream further provides a stripper off-gas stream and absorbing hydrocarbons from said stripper off-gas stream and said tail gas stream. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The process of claim 4 further comprising absorbing acid gases from said stripper off-gas stream before absorbing hydrocarbons from said stripper off-gas stream. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The process of claim 1 further comprising fractionating said absorbent stream to provide a hydrocarbon stream and absorbing LPG hydrocarbons from said tail gas stream by contact with said hydrocarbon stream. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The process of claim 1 further comprising compressing said absorption off-gas stream and adsorbing impurities from hydrogen in said absorption off-gas stream to provide a hydrogen stream and a tail gas stream comprising hydrocarbons. ### Claim 8 (depends on 4) The process of claim 4 wherein stripping said liquid stream further provides an overhead stream, condensing said overhead stream to provide said stripper off-gas stream and an overhead liquid stream and combining said overhead liquid stream with said absorbent stream. ### Claim 9 (depends on 2) The process of claim 2 further comprising stripping said hydrocarbon rich absorption stream along with said liquid stream. ### Claim 10 A process for recovering hydrogen and hydrocarbons comprising: absorbing LPG hydrocarbons from a stripper off gas stream to produce an absorbent stream and an absorption stream comprising LPG and hydrogen; absorbing LPG hydrocarbons from said absorption stream to provide an absorption off-gas stream and a hydrocarbon-rich absorption stream; and adsorbing impurities from hydrogen in said absorption off-gas stream to provide a hydrogen stream and a tail gas stream comprising hydrocarbons. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The process of claim 10 further comprising hydroprocessing a hydrocarbon feed stream in a hydroprocessing reactor to provide a hydroprocessing effluent stream; and separating said hydroprocessing effluent stream to provide a gaseous stream and a liquid stream. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The process of claim 11 further comprising stripping said liquid stream to provide a stripped hydroprocessed stream and absorbing LPG hydrocarbons from said absorption stream by contact with said stripped hydroprocessed stream. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The process of claim 12 further comprising absorbing acid gases from said stripper off-gas stream before absorbing hydrocarbons from said stripper off-gas stream. ### Claim 14 (depends on 10) The process of claim 10 further comprising fractionating said absorbent stream to provide a hydrocarbon stream and absorbing LPG hydrocarbons from said stripper off gas stream by contact with said hydrocarbon stream. ### Claim 15 (depends on 10) The process of claim 10 further comprising compressing said absorption off-gas stream and adsorbing impurities from hydrogen in said absorption off-gas stream to provide a hydrogen stream and a tail gas stream comprising hydrocarbons. ### Claim 16 (depends on 12) The process of claim 12 wherein stripping said liquid stream further provides an overhead stream, condensing said overhead stream to provide said stripper off-gas stream and an overhead liquid stream and combining said overhead liquid stream with said absorbent stream. ### Claim 17 (depends on 11) The process of claim 11 further comprising stripping said hydrocarbon rich absorption stream with said liquid stream. ### Claim 18 An apparatus comprising: a first absorber in communication with an overhead line of a stripper and in downstream communication with a PSA unit; a second absorber in communication with an overhead line of said first absorber and a bottoms line of said stripper; and a fractionation column in downstream communication with said first absorber column via a bottoms line and first absorber column being in downstream communication with the fractionation column. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The apparatus of claim 18 wherein said bottoms line bypasses said second absorber.