Process for removing mercury from liquid hydrocarbons
AssigneeUnion Oil Company of California
InventorsTheodore C. Frankiewicz, John Gerlach
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Mercury is removed from crude oils, natural gas condensates and other liquid hydrocarbons by first removing colloidal mercury and solids that contain adsorbed mercury and then treating the hydrocarbons with an organic or inorganic compound containing at least one sulfur atom reactive with mercury. The sulfur compound reacts with dissolved mercury that contaminates the hydrocarbons to form mercury-containing particulates that are then removed from the hydrocarbons to produce a purified product having a reduced mercury content. Preferably, the treating agent is an organic sulfur-containing compound such as a dithiocarbamate or sulfurized isobutylene.
Claims34
A method for removing mercury from a liquid hydrocarbon feed comprising:
- (a) mixing said liquid hydrocarbon feed with particulate solids comprising a sulfur-containing compound supported on diatomite, said sulfur-containing compound selected from the group consisting of alkali metal sulfides, alkaline earth metal sulfides, alkali metal polysulfides, alkaline earth metal polysulfides, alkali metal trithiocarbonates, and an organic compound containing at least one sulfur atom that is reactive with mercury, wherein said diatomite is substantially free of metal cations that form water insoluble metal polysulfides having a Ksp of 10−6 or less;
- and
- b) separating said particulate solids from the effluent of step (a) to produce liquid hydrocarbons having a reduced mercury concentration as compared to said liquid hydrocarbon feed.
A method for removing mercury from a liquid hydrocarbon feed comprising:
- (a) mixing said liquid hydrocarbon feed with an organic compound containing at least one sulfur atom that is reactive with mercury, wherein said organic compound is not supported on carrier solids and is selected from the group consisting of sulfurized isobutylenes, dithiocarbamates, alkyl dithiocarbamates, polymeric dithiocarbamates, sulfurized olefins, thiophenes, mono and dithio organic acids, and mono and dithioesters;
- and
- (b) separating mercury-containing particulates formed in step (a) by the reaction of said organic compound with mercury from the effluent of step (a) to produce liquid hydrocarbons having a reduced mercury concentration as compared to said liquid hydrocarbon feed.
A method for removing mercury from a liquid hydrocarbon feed comprising:
- (a) mixing said liquid hydrocarbon feed with a sufficient amount of an aqueous solution of a sulfur-containing compound selected from the group consisting of alkali metal sulfides, alkaline earth metal sulfides, alkali metal polysulfides, alkaline earth metal polyulfides, and alkali metal trithiocarbonates such that the resultant mixture contains a volume ratio of said aqueous solution to said liquid hydrocarbon feed less than 0.003;
- and
- (b) separating mercury-containing particulates formed in step (a) from the effluent of step (a) to produce liquid hydrocarbons having a reduced mercury concentration as compared to said liquid hydrocarbon feed.
A method for removing mercury from a liquid hydrocarbon feed comprising:
- (a) removing mercury-containing particulates from said liquid hydrocarbon feed;
- (b) mixing the effluent from step (a) with a sulfur-containing compound having the formula
- where R1 and R2 are the same or different and are independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen atoms and unsubstituted or substituted hydrocarbyl radicals having from 1 to 20 carbon atoms, and R3 is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, alkali metal cations and alkaline earth metal cations, wherein said sulfur-containing compound is not supported on carrier solids;
- and
- (c) separating mercury-containing particulates formed in step (b) by the reaction of said sulfur-containing compound with mercury from the effluent of step (b) to produce liquid hydrocarbons having a reduced mercury concentration as compared to said liquid hydrocarbon feed.
A method for removing mercury from a liquid hydrocarbon feed comprising:
- (a) mixing said liquid hydrocarbon feed with an aqueous solution of an alkali metal trithiocarbonate;
- (b) separating mercury-containing particulates formed in step (a) from the effluent of step (a) to produce liquid hydrocarbons having a reduced mercury concentration as compared to said liquid hydrocarbon feed.
A method for removing mercury from a liquid hydrocarbon feed comprising:
- (a) mixing said liquid hydrocarbon feed with an aqueous solution of a sulfur-containing compound selected from the group consisting of alkali metal sulfides, alkaline earth metal sulfides, alkali metal polysulfides, and alkaline earth metal polysulfides;
- and
- (b) without separating the aqueous solution from the hydrocarbon feed, removing mercury-containing particulates formed in step (a) from the effluent of step (a) to produce liquid hydrocarbons having a reduced mercury concentration as compared to said liquid hydrocarbon feed.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.