Magnetic removal of material from a mixture based on sulfided diluent in the mixture
AssigneePhillips 66 Company
InventorsSundararajan Uppili, Donald R. Engelbert
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Methods and apparatus relate to processing of petroleum with a bed having a sorbent based diluent that the petroleum contacts upon passing through the bed. Magnetic properties of the sorbent and any other material, such as zeolite, used in the bed enable separation of such bed constituents based on a sulfided form of the sorbent being magnetic in contrast to a non-sulfided form of the sorbent being non-magnetic. Dividing the bed constituents into first and second portions by magnetic separation facilitates in selective replacing and/or regenerating the first portion independent of the second portion.
Claims14
A method of processing petroleum, comprising:
- contacting in a reactor a solid particulate mixture with a hydrocarbon-containing feed stream, wherein the solid particulate mixture comprises a sorbent impregnated with a nickel-containing material and a catalyst, wherein the sorbent adsorbs sulfur from the hydrocarbon-containing feed stream, wherein the catalyst comprises a zeolite and causes reactions that increase octane of the hydrocarbon-containing feed stream;
- removing at least part of the solid particulate mixture from the reactor to provide a removed portion of the mixture;
- separating the sorbent from the catalyst within the removed portion by magnetic separation;
- and
- processing independent of one another the sorbent and the catalyst that are separated, wherein the solid particulate mixture within the reactor is replenished with at least one of the sorbent and the catalyst that is recycled from the removed portion.
A system for processing petroleum, comprising:
- a reactor containing a solid particulate mixture, wherein the solid particulate mixture comprises a sorbent and a catalyst, wherein the sorbent comprises a nickel-containing material impregnated thereon and is capable of adsorbing sulfur from a hydrocarbon-containing fluid, wherein the catalyst comprises a zeolite and is capable of catalyzing reactions that increase octane of the hydrocarbon-containing fluid;
- a magnetic separator coupled to receive a portion of the solid particulate mixture and separate the sorbent from the catalyst within the portion;
- and
- processing equipment to replenish the solid particulate mixture within the reactor with at least one of the sorbent and the catalyst that is recycled from the portion, wherein the processing equipment is coupled to the magnetic separator to process independent of one another the sorbent and the catalyst that are separated by the magnetic separator.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.