Treatment of crude oil fractions, fossil fuels, and products thereof with sonic energy
OwnerMark Culleninventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
In crude oil fractions, fossil fuels, and organic liquids in general in which it is desirable to reduce the levels of sulfur-containing and nitrogen-containing components, the process reduces the level of these compounds via the application of sonic energy. The process can be performed both with and without the added presence of an oxidizing agent, and with or without elevated temperature and/or pressure. The invention is performed either as a continuous process or a batch process.
Claims17
1-49. (canceled)
A process for removing organic sulfur from a crude oil fraction, said process comprising:
- (a) exposing crude oil to sonic energy in the absence of hydrogen peroxide or hydroperoxides, also in the absence of a metallic catalyst, and deriving a crude oil fraction;
- and
- (b) contacting said crude oil fraction derived in step (a) with hydrogen gas under conditions causing conversion of said organic sulfur originally present in said crude oil to hydrogen sulfide by hydrodesulfurization.
A process for removing organic sulfur from a crude oil fraction, said process comprising:
- (a) exposing the crude oil fraction to sonic energy in the absence of an aqueous phase;
- and
- (b) contacting said crude oil fraction exposed to sonic energy in step (a) with hydrogen gas under conditions causing conversion of said organic sulfur originally present in said crude oil fraction to hydrogen sulfide by hydrodesulfurization.
A process for removing organic sulfur from a crude oil fraction, said process comprising:
- (a) exposing the crude oil fraction to sonic energy in the absence of a surface active agent;
- and
- (b) contacting said crude oil fraction exposed to sonic energy in step (a) with hydrogen gas under conditions causing conversion of said organic sulfur originally present in said crude oil fraction to hydrogen sulfide by hydrodesulfurization.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.