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US 6,500,219 B1Granted
Continuous process for oxidative desulfurization of fossil fuels with ultrasound and products thereof
AssigneeSulphCo, Inc.
InventorRudolf W. Gunnerman
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Fossil fuels are combined with a hydroperoxide, a surface active agent, and an aqueous liquid to form an aqueous-organic reaction medium which is passed through an ultrasound chamber on a continuous flow-through basis. The emerging mixture separates spontaneously into aqueous and organic phases, from which the organic phase is readily isolated as the desulfurized fossil fuel.
Claims28
A sulfur-depleted diesel fuel, prepared by a process comprising:
- (a) combining a sulfide-containing diesel fuel having a cetane index of greater than 50.0 with an aqueous fluid and a hydroperoxide and an aliphatic C15-C20 hydrocarbon to form a multiphase reaction medium;
- (b) continuously passing said multiphase reaction medium through an ultrasound chamber in which ultrasound is applied to said multiphase reaction medium for a time sufficient to cause oxidation of sulfides in said sulfide-containing diesel fuel to sulfones;
- (c) permitting said multiphase reaction medium upon emerging from said ultrasound chamber to separate spontaneously into aqueous and organic phases;
- and
- (d) isolating said organic phase from said aqueous phase, said organic phase thus isolated being said sulfur-depleted diesel fuel.
2 more elements
A continuous process for removing sulfides from a liquid fossil fuel, said process comprising:
- (a) combining a said liquid fossil fuel with an aqueous fluid and a hydroperoxide and an aliphatic C15-C20 hydrocarbon to form a multiphase reaction medium;
- (b) continuously passing said multiphase reaction medium through an ultrasound chamber in which ultrasound is applied to said multiphase reaction medium for a time sufficient to cause oxidation of sulfides in said sulfide-containing liquid fossil fuel to sulfones;
- (c) permitting said multiphase reaction medium upon emerging from said ultrasound chamber to separate spontaneously into aqueous and organic phases;
- and
- (d) isolating said organic phase from said aqueous phase, said organic phase thus isolated being said liquid fossil fuel with sulfides removed.
2 more elements
A sulfur-depleted diesel fuel, prepared by a process comprising:
- (a) combining a sulfide-containing diesel fuel having an API gravity greater than 30.0 with an aqueous fluid and a hydroperoxide and an aliphatic C5-C20 hydrocarbon to form a multiphase reaction medium;
- (b) continuously passing said multiphase reaction medium through an ultrasound chamber in which ultrasound is applied to said multiphase reaction medium for a time sufficient to cause oxidation of sulfides in said sulfide-containing diesel fuel to sulfones;
- (c) permitting said multiphase reaction medium upon emerging from said ultrasound chamber to separate spontaneously into aqueous and organic phases;
- and
- (d) isolating said organic phase from said aqueous phase, said organic phase thus isolated being said sulfur-depleted diesel fuel.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.