TRIM ALKALI METAL DESULFURIZATION OF REFINERY FRACTIONS

• Main Author: HANKS, Patrick, L
• Format: Patent
• Language: English; French; German
• Published: 23.10.2019
• Subjects: CHEMISTRY; COMPOUNDS THEREOF; CRACKING HYDROCARBON OILS; FUELS; INORGANIC CHEMISTRY; LUBRICANTS; METALLURGY; MINERAL WAXES; NON-METALLIC ELEMENTS; PEAT; PETROLEUM, GAS OR COKE INDUSTRIES; PRODUCTION OF LIQUID HYDROCARBON MIXTURES, e.g. BY DESTRUCTIVEHYDROGENATION, OLIGOMERISATION, POLYMERISATION; RECOVERY OF HYDROCARBON OILS FROM OIL-SHALE, OIL-SAND, ORGASES; REFINING MIXTURES MAINLY CONSISTING OF HYDROCARBONS; REFORMING OF NAPHTHA; TECHNICAL GASES CONTAINING CARBON MONOXIDE

Systems and methods are provided for upgrading aromatic refinery fractions by performing trim alkali metal desulfurization. The alkali metal desulfurization can be performed by mixing the aromatic refinery fraction with alkali metal in finely dispersed solid and/or molten form, such as molten sodium. The aromatic nature of the refinery fraction can potentially be beneficial for the desulfurization reaction mechanism. The aromatic refinery fractions can correspond to fractions that have been previously processed to remove metals. Because only trim desulfurization is being performed, the desulfurization can be performed under relatively mild alkali metal desulfurization conditions that result in a reduced or minimized amount of feed conversion.