# US 5,708,270 A · Optimization of acid strength and total organic carbon in acid processes

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- Number: US 5,708,270 A
- Document ID: US5708270A
- Status: Granted
- Kind: A
- Application number: 08/688,320
- Filed: 1996-07-30
- Granted: 1998-01-13
- Earliest claimed: 1993-09-21
- Assignees: Exxon Research & Engineering Co.
- Inventors: Robert John Louis Chimenti; Gerald Martin Halpern; Bernie John Pafford
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US5708270A

## CPC

- G01N 33/1846: {Total carbon analysis}
- Y10T 436/12: Condition responsive control
- Y10T 436/15: Inorganic acid or base [e.g. , hcl, sulfuric acid, etc. ]
- Y10T 436/156666: Sulfur containing
- Y10T 436/235: In an aqueous solution [e.g., TOC, etc.]
- G01N: INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES (measuring or testing apparatus or processes other than immunoassay, involving enzymes or microorganisms C12M, C12Q)
- Y10T: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION

## Abstract

The present invention is a method to determine the water content and/or total organic carbon content in a petrochemical stream including water, organic carbon and acid comprising irradiating a feed stream including an acid, water, and organic carbon, with optical radiation; determining the optical absorption of the feed stream for at least two selected wavelengths; and determining the weight percent of the water and/or organic carbon content from the optical absorption.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method to determine the water content and/or organic carbon content in a stream including water, organic carbon and acid comprising:
a. irradiating a feed stream including an acid, water, and organic carbon (heavy hydrocarbons which become insoluble in a petrochemical process), with optical radiation,
b. determining the optical absorption of said feed stream for at least two selected wavelengths, the selected wavelengths chosen according to whether water content or organic carbon is being determined; and
c. determining the weight percent of said water and/or organic carbon content from said optical absorption.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 wherein said two selected wavelengths are about 1300 nm and 1450 nm.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 where said two selected wavelengths are about 546 nm and 820 nm.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 wherein said acid is sulfuric acid.

### Claim 5

A system to control acid-water content and/or organic carbon content in a petrochemical stream including water, organic carbon (heavy hydrocarbons which can become insoluble in a petrochemical process), and acid feed stream comprising:
a. means for irradiating said petrochemical stream including an acid, water, and organic carbon, with optical (visible and/or near infrared) radiation;
b. means for determining the absorptivity of said feed stream for at least two selected wavelengths, the selected wavelengths chosen according to whether water content or organic carbon is being determined;
c. means for determining the weight percent of said water and/or organic carbon content from said absorptivity wherein said water content is determined using a non-linear regression model; and
d. means for determining acid strength and/or organic carbon content from said weight percents; and
e. means for adjusting the water content and/or acid content of said petrochemical stream.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The system of claim 5 wherein said two selected wavelengths are about 1450 nm and 1300 mn.

### Claim 7 (depends on 5)

The system of claim 5 where said two selected wavelengths are about 546 nm and 820 nm.