Removal of acidic organic contaminants from refinery waste water
AssigneeMerichem Company
InventorJames A. Brient
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A process is described whereby phenolics and other water soluble, organic materials are removed from certain aqueous refinery waste streams by an extraction process whereby the brine is contacted with a hydrocarbon solvent containing at least about 2% by weight of a trialkylamine.
Claims7
A process for treating an aqueous refinery waste stream containing phenolic compounds and high chemical oxygen demand to reduce levels of phenolic compounds and chemical oxygen demand and render the aqueous stream susceptible to environmentally benign disposal, comprising the steps of:
- contacting the aqueous waste stream at a ratio of from 2 parts to about 10 parts of aqueous waste stream per part by volume of a solvent solution containing at least about 2% of a tertiary alkyl amine, wherein such alkyl group has from 1 to about 12 carbon atoms at a pH of up to about 4 to extract phenols and organic sulfonic acids from the aqueous phase into the solvent phase;
- separating the aqueous phase from the solvent phase;
- acidifying the aqueous phase to separate organic oils from the aqueous phase and recovering such oils and disposing of the aqueous phase now having substantially lowered phenolic content and chemical oxygen demand.
An improved process for recovering phenolic compounds and water soluble organic acids from an aqueous caustic refinery effluent which comprises the steps of:
- contacting the effluent, at a pH of from about 2 to about 4, in the presence of a fiber bundle with an organic hydrocarbon solvent containing at least about 1% of a tertiary alkyl amine, wherein the alkyl group has from 1 to about 12 carbon atoms at a ratio of 1 part by volume solvent to about 3 to about 6 parts of the brine to create an aqueous phase substantially free of phenols and organic sulfonic acids and a solvent phase containing such phenols and sulfonic acids;
- contacting the solvent phase in the presence of a fiber bundle with an alkali metal hydroxide solution to create an aqueous phase of alkali metal salts of such phenols and organic acids and a solvent phase including the amine and solvent;
- and
- neutralizing the aqueous phase with an add to create an oil phase and an aqueous phase suitable for benign disposal to the environment;
- and
- recovering said oil phase.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.