Ionic Liquid Extraction for Carbon Residue Removal in Heavy Oils
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Solution Overview
Problem
Heavy oils, which are upgraded to meet fuel demands, contain carbon residue contaminants that are difficult to remove and can cause environmental pollution and catalyst poisoning, especially due to their high aromaticity, making existing hydrotreating processes ineffective.
Innovation Solution
A process involving the use of hydrocarbon-immiscible ionic liquids, such as imidazolium, ammonium, and phosphonium-based ionic liquids, to selectively extract carbon residue compounds from hydrocarbon streams, which can be repeated multiple times to achieve up to 100% extraction efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If hydrotreating processes are used to remove carbon residue from heavy oils, then sulfur and nitrogen removal is improved, but carbon residue removal is insufficient due to high aromaticity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies extraction by contacting the hydrocarbon stream with ionic liquid in a extraction apparatus. The ionic liquid selectively extracts carbon residue compounds from the hydrocarbon stream through mass transfer, separating them into two phases. This extraction process specifically targets carbon residue removal without relying on hydrotreating, thereby resolving the contradiction of insufficient carbon residue removal in high aromaticity feeds.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the chemical parameters of the system by introducing ionic liquids with specific properties (hydrocarbon-immiscible, high carbon residue affinity). By selecting ionic liquids with appropriate cations and anions, the extraction selectivity is optimized to target carbon residue compounds specifically, overcoming the limitation of conventional hydrotreating processes.
2Productivity
If carbon residue is not removed from heavy oils, then processing continues without additional steps, but catalyst poisoning and environmental pollution occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs carbon residue removal as a preliminary step before catalytic processing. By extracting carbon residue compounds from the hydrocarbon stream before the feed enters catalytic units, the harmful substances are removed in advance, preventing subsequent catalyst poisoning and ensuring smooth catalytic operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The ionic liquid acts as an intermediary substance that facilitates carbon residue removal. It selectively interacts with carbon residue compounds, forming an extractable complex that can be separated from the hydrocarbon stream, thereby mediating the removal process without requiring direct catalytic action.
3Quantity of substance
If multiple extraction steps are performed to achieve complete carbon residue removal, then extraction efficiency improves to up to 100%, but process complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements continuous extraction operations where the hydrocarbon stream passes through multiple extraction apparatus in sequence, or where a single apparatus operates continuously with recirculation. This continuous action maintains high extraction efficiency without requiring complex batch processing, achieving near-complete carbon residue removal while managing process complexity.
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
Significantly reduces carbon residue content in heavy oil fractions, preventing catalyst poisoning and environmental pollution, and enables further processing of heavy oils into usable products by enhancing the efficiency of hydrocarbon conversion processes.
Implementation Method 1
contacting the hydrocarbon stream comprising the carbon residue compound with a hydrocarbon-immiscible ionic liquid to produce a mixture comprising the hydrocarbon stream and the hydrocarbon stream-immiscible ionic liquid; separating the mixture to produce a hydrocarbon stream effluent and a hydrocarbon stream-immiscible ionic liquid effluent comprising the carbon residue compounds
Data Source
AI summary
The invention involves a process for hydrocarbon conversion. The process can include providing a feed to a primary upgrading zone and then treating the product from the primary upgrading zone with a feed-immiscible ionic liquid to remove carbon residue compounds.