Hydrocarbon Stream Heteroatom Removal via Oxidation and Caustic Extraction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for removing heteroatom contaminants like sulfur, nitrogen, and phosphorus from hydrocarbon streams are inefficient, particularly in heavy crude oils, leading to environmental hazards and increased costs due to the need for high-energy hydrodesulfurization processes, and existing oxidation methods struggle with selective oxidation and efficient removal of oxidized compounds.
Innovation Solution
A method involving contacting a heteroatom-containing hydrocarbon feed with an oxidant, followed by a caustic and a selectivity promoter to oxidize and remove heteroatom contaminants, thereby increasing API gravity and decreasing total acid number, while recycling the caustic and selectivity promoter to minimize oxygenated by-products.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If hydrodesulfurization (HDS) is used to remove sulfur from hydrocarbon streams, then sulfur content is reduced, but energy consumption and CO2 emissions increase substantially
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies oxidation using strong oxidants (such as hydrogen peroxide, ozone, or oxygen with catalysts) to convert sulfur compounds in hydrocarbon streams into removable forms. This oxidation-based approach replaces the energy-intensive hydrodesulfurization process, achieving sulfur removal without requiring high energy input and high pressure conditions typical of HDS units.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If hydrodesulfurization (HDS) is used to remove sulfur from hydrocarbon streams, then sulfur content is reduced, but CO2 emissions increase
Solution Approach 1:
The oxidation process using strong oxidants replaces the hydrogen-consuming HDS reaction, eliminating the need for high-pressure hydrogen supply and subsequent CO2-generating steam methane reforming for hydrogen production. This directly reduces CO2 emissions associated with sulfur removal operations.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If existing oxidation methods are used to remove heteroatom contaminants, then some oxidation occurs, but selective oxidation and efficient removal of oxidized compounds is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces specific catalysts as intermediaries to facilitate selective oxidation of heteroatom-containing compounds. These catalysts (such as metal complexes or enzymatic catalysts) selectively bind to heteroatom compounds and promote their oxidation at lower activation energies, achieving high selectivity and efficiency that conventional non-catalytic oxidation methods cannot provide.
Solution Approach 2:
The combination of strong oxidants with selective catalysts creates a powerful yet selective oxidation system. The strong oxidant provides the necessary oxidizing power while the catalyst ensures selectivity toward heteroatom compounds, overcoming the limitation of existing oxidation methods that lack either strength or selectivity.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach effectively reduces heteroatom contaminants, increases the API gravity, and decreases the total acid number of hydrocarbon streams, addressing the inefficiencies of existing methods and minimizing waste production.
Implementation Method 1
A heteroatom contaminated hydrocarbon feed stream is subjected to heteroatom oxidizing conditions to produce an oxidized-heteroatom-containing hydrocarbon intermediate stream
Implementation Method 2
contacting said stream with a selectivity promoter and caustic thereby removing the heteroatom contaminants from the hydrocarbon stream
Data Source
AI summary
A method of upgrading a heteroatom-containing hydrocarbon feed by removing heteroatom contaminants is disclosed. The method includes contacting the heteroatom-containing hydrocarbon feed with an oxidant to oxidize the heteroatoms, contacting the oxidized-heteroatom-containing hydrocarbon feed with caustic and a selectivity promoter, and removing the heteroatom contaminants from the heteroatom-containing hydrocarbon feed. The oxidant may be used in the presence of a catalyst.