Process and apparatus for online rejuvenation of contaminated sulfolane solvent

A process for online rejuvenation of contaminated sulfolane solvent in an aromatic extraction system that includes an aromatic extractor device and art aromatic recovery device which comprises the steps of:

• (a) establishing a closed lean sulfolane circulation loop that includes the aromatic extractor device (AED) and the aromatic recovery device (ARD) wherein a feed stream containing aromatics and non-aromatics is introduced into the AED at a first position and wherein a lean sulfolane solvent stream containing sulfolane is introduced into the AED at a second position whereby the AED generates a raffinate stream containing the non-aromatics and an extractive stream containing sulfolane and the aromatics, wherein the extractive stream is introduced into the ARD whereby the ARD generates an aromatics stream and a contaminated solvent stream;
• (b) providing a high pressure vessel having an inlet and an outlet in the closed lean sulfolane circulation loop wherein the high pressure vessel includes magnets that remove organic degradation products that are occluded with corrosion products which contain paramagnetic particles that are formed from iron ions that are released into the sulfolane solvent;
• (c) maintaining an inlet stream of contaminated sulfolane solvent, that is from the contaminated solvent stream, at a temperature wherein organic degradation products are occluded with corrosion particles;
• (d) introducing the inlet stream of contaminated sulfolane solvent through the inlet so that organic degradation products that are occluded with the corrosion particles are attracted by and adhered to the magnets;
• and
• (e) recovering, a stream of rejuvenated, clean sulfolane solvent from the outlet that is delivered to the AED as the lean sulfolane solvent stream.