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US 8,574,429 B2Granted
Sulfone removal from an oxidized hydrocarbon fuel
AssigneeMerichem Company
InventorsTiejun Zhang, Nachiketa Anand, Theodore Sidney Hoover
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AssigneeMerichem Company
InventorsTiejun Zhang, Nachiketa Anand, Theodore Sidney Hoover
Estimating the term…
A one-step process for desulfurizing an oxidized sulfone-containing fuel stream, such as a diesel stream, is disclosed where mass transfer and conversion of sulfone occurs simultaneously such that the sulfur atom in sulfone molecule is removed as sulfite to provide a low-sulfur diesel stream. The diesel stream for treatment is obtained as a result of the oxidation of a thiophene-rich diesel stream with an oxidant to provide a sulfone-containing diesel stream. The one-step process uses a single vessel having a shroud of vertical hanging fibers to affect the mass transfer of sulfones in diesel into contacting with an aqueous solution of alkali metal hydroxide where it is converted to sulfite and biphenyls. The sulfite-rich aqueous solution and low sulfur diesel are then separately removed from the vessel.
A single step process for treating sulfone containing hydrocarbons in a single vessel comprising contacting a sulfone containing hydrocarbon stream with an aqueous solution of alkali metal hydroxide inside a shroud of vertical hanging fibers at a temperature in the range of from 150° C. to 350° C., allowing the alkali metal hydroxide to react with the sulfones cleaving sulfur atoms from the sulfones to form a sulfite rich aqueous phase and a substantially sulfur free hydrocarbon phase, wherein the single vessel comprises a nickel alloy and where a stream of the substantially sulfur free hydrocarbon phase and a stream of sulfite rich aqueous solution are separately removed.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.