Silver-Modified Zeolite Adsorbent for Mercury Removal in Oxygenated Hydrocarbon Streams
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current mercury removal technologies, particularly adsorbents like mixed metal oxides, are ineffective in the presence of oxygen, which is introduced by hydraulic fracturing and horizontal drilling, leading to corrosion issues and hazardous waste disposal problems in hydrocarbon streams.
Innovation Solution
Silver-containing zeolites are used as regenerable adsorbents that maintain effectiveness in removing mercury from hydrocarbon streams containing oxygen, with silver being stable in the presence of air and allowing for efficient mercury amalgamation and recovery.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If mixed metal oxide adsorbents are used for mercury removal, then mercury can be removed from hydrocarbon streams, but the adsorbents become ineffective in the presence of oxygen and produce hazardous waste
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the chemical composition parameters of the adsorbent by incorporating silver (0.1-10 wt%) and sulfur (1-20 wt%) into the mixed metal oxide structure. This compositional modification enables the adsorbent to maintain mercury removal effectiveness while becoming resistant to oxygen deactivation, directly resolving the contradiction between reliability and adaptability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a composite adsorbent material combining mixed metal oxides with silver and sulfur components. This composite structure synergistically integrates the mercury affinity of mixed metal oxides with the oxygen stability provided by silver-sulfur complexes, allowing simultaneous achievement of high mercury removal performance and oxygen environment adaptability.
2Reliability
If non-regenerable adsorbents are used, then mercury removal is achieved, but hazardous waste disposal problems arise
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a regeneration system where spent adsorbent is thermally treated to desorb accumulated mercury, restoring the adsorbent's activity. The desorbed mercury is recovered as a separate stream, allowing the adsorbent to be reused multiple times and eliminating hazardous waste generation while maintaining continuous mercury removal capability.
3Reliability
If activated carbon with mercury reactive materials is used, then mercury removal is effective, but the process becomes complex and costly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent develops a single integrated composite adsorbent containing mixed metal oxides, silver, and sulfur that provides inherent mercury removal capability without requiring separate reactive material impregnation steps. This simplifies the overall process architecture compared to traditional activated carbon systems while maintaining high removal efficiency.
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
The use of silver-containing zeolites enables effective mercury removal and recovery from hydrocarbon streams with oxygen, preventing corrosion and reducing hazardous waste, while maintaining process efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
The purification processes are most often based on adsorption technology where the mercury is selectively adsorbed on to the adsorbent
Implementation Method 2
silver being stable in the presence of air and allowing for efficient mercury amalgamation and recovery
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to a process for removing and recovering mercury, an impurity, from a hydrocarbon feedstream containing oxygen, such as introduced during hydraulic fracturing. Mercury is selectively removed to very low levels of concentration from fluid streams such as natural gas, cracked gas, hydrogen or naphtha by passage of the stream through an adsorbent bed containing particles of a zeolitic molecular sieve preferably having pore diameters of at least 3.0 angstroms and in which the zeolite crystallites are formed into an aggregate (cylindrical or beads) which contain ionic or elemental silver. These adsorbent particles maintain their capacity for removal of mercury despite the presence of oxygen.