Contaminant removal from kerosene streams with lactamium based ionic liquids

A process for removing a contaminant from a kerosene stream comprising:

• contacting the kerosene stream comprising the contaminant with a lean kerosene-immiscible lactamium ionic liquid to produce a mixture comprising the kerosene and a rich kerosene-immiscible lactamium ionic liquid comprising at least a portion of the removed contaminant;
• and
• separating the mixture to produce a kerosene effluent and a rich kerosene-immiscible lactamium ionic liquid effluent comprising the rich kerosene-immiscible lactamium ionic liquid;
• regenerating the rich kerosene-immiscible lactamium ionic liquid effluent to form a stream of lean kerosene-immiscible lactamium ionic liquid;
• recycling the stream of lean kerosene-immiscible lactamium ionic liquid to the contacting step;
• and
• passing at least a portion of the kerosene effluent to a kerosene conversion process;
• wherein the kerosene-immiscible lactamium ionic liquid comprises at least one of:
• a reaction product of a lactam compound having a general formula
• wherein R is hydrogen, an alkyl group having from 1 to 12 carbon atoms, an amine, an ether, or a silyl group, n is 1 to 8;
• and a Brønsted acid HX;
• or a Brønsted acid HX, where X is a halide, and a metal halide;
• or a reaction product of a lactam compound having a general formula
• wherein the ring has at least one C—C double bond, R is hydrogen, an alkyl group having from 1 to 12 carbon atoms, an amine, an ether, or a silyl group, n is 1 to 8,
• and a Brønsted acid HX;
• or a Brønsted acid HX, where X is a halide, and a metal halide;
• or
• a reaction product of a lactam compound having a general formula
• wherein R is hydrogen, an alkyl group having from 1 to 12 carbon atoms, an amine, an ether, or a silyl group, n is 1 to 8, m is 1 to 8, and the rings can be saturated or unsaturated;
• and a Brønsted acid HX;
• or a Brønsted acid HX, where X is a halide, and a metal halide.