Layered Silicate Adsorbent for Mercury Removal in Hydrocarbon Oil
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods struggle to efficiently and cost-effectively remove ionic mercury and organic mercury from hydrocarbon oils, as they often require additional facilities and high operational costs due to the need for hydrogen decomposition or have low adsorptivity to these forms of mercury.
Innovation Solution
The use of a layered silicate mineral with an interlayer charge of 0 or between 0 and 0.6, combined with activated carbon or metal sulfides, as an adsorbent to selectively remove ionic and organic mercury from hydrocarbon oils through an adsorption process.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If metal sulfides (copper sulfide, polysulfides) are used as adsorbents, then high adsorptivity to elemental mercury is achieved, but ionic mercury and organic mercury cannot be removed
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple types of adsorbents (metal sulfides for elemental mercury and layered silicate minerals for ionic and organic mercury) into a single composite adsorbent system, enabling simultaneous removal of all three mercury forms through one contact process
Solution Approach 2:
The invention uses composite adsorbent materials comprising both metal sulfide components and layered silicate mineral components with specific interlayer charges, creating a material that possesses both high adsorptivity to elemental mercury and capability to remove ionic and organic mercury
2Adaptability or versatility
If organic mercury is decomposed using hydrogen and a catalyst, then ionic and organic mercury can be removed, but additional hydrogen plant facilities are required and mercury is discharged in the hydrogen outlet
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and removes the need for complex decomposition facilities by directly adsorbing ionic and organic mercury using layered silicate minerals, eliminating the hydrogen plant and catalyst reactor while preventing mercury discharge in hydrogen outlet
Solution Approach 2:
The layered silicate mineral acts as an intermediary adsorbent that directly captures ionic and organic mercury without requiring hydrogen decomposition, serving as a mediator that simplifies the overall process by replacing complex chemical decomposition with direct adsorption
3Device complexity
If activated carbon or activated carbon supporting sulfurized alkali metal is used, then only adsorbing operation is needed, but adsorptivity to ionic and organic mercury is extremely weak
Solution Approach 1:
The invention replaces simple activated carbon with composite adsorbent materials containing layered silicate minerals that specifically target ionic and organic mercury, maintaining process simplicity through direct adsorption while dramatically improving adsorptivity to these mercury forms
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the key parameter of adsorbent material composition from conventional activated carbon to layered silicate minerals with specific interlayer charges (0 to +0.6), which fundamentally improves the adsorption capability for ionic and organic mercury while maintaining the simplicity of the adsorption process
4Adaptability or versatility
If metallic aluminum or metallic zinc is used at 200°C or higher to decompose hardly reactive mercury compounds, then decomposition can occur, but considerable facility cost is incurred due to cracking unit and extracting unit requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and eliminates the need for expensive high-temperature decomposition facilities by using layered silicate minerals that can directly adsorb ionic and organic mercury at lower temperatures, removing the cracking unit and extracting unit requirements
Solution Approach 2:
The invention uses cost-effective layered silicate mineral adsorbents that can be easily replaced rather than investing in expensive high-temperature decomposition and extraction facilities, reducing overall facility cost while achieving the same mercury removal goal
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 enables stable and efficient removal of ionic and organic mercury for an extended period, reducing facility costs and operational complexity while maintaining high adsorptivity, even at trace concentrations.
Implementation Method 1
a method for adsorbing and removing organic mercury from a hydrocarbon oil containing the same
Implementation Method 2
The use of a layered silicate mineral with an interlayer charge of 0 or between 0 and 0.6, combined with activated carbon or metal sulfides, as an adsorbent to selectively remove ionic and organic mercury from hydrocarbon oils through an adsorption process.
Data Source
Figure 1~2
AI summary
The present invention provides a method which can adsorb and remove ionic mercury and/or organic mercury contained in a hydrocarbon oil efficiently for a long period of time. The method comprises bringing the hydrocarbon oil into contact with an adsorbent containing a layered silicate mineral having an interlayer charge of 0 or an interlayer charge of greater than 0 to 0.6 or less.