Mercaptan extraction process

Patent · Tue Nov 10 04:00:00 EST 1987

OSTI ID:5737455

Bricker, J C; Staehle, B E

This patent describes a process for treating a sour hydrocarbon stream containing mercaptans which comprises: (a) contacting the hydrocarbon stream with an aqueous alkaline solution in an extraction zone at treating conditions to form a purified hydrocarbon stream and a mercaptide rich aqueous alkaline solution; (b) separating and recovering the purified hydrocarbon stream from the mercaptide rich aqueous alkaline solution; (c) passing the mercaptide rich aqueous alkaline solution to an oxidation zone and therein treating the mercaptide rich aqueous alkaline solution with an oxidizing agent in the presence of a metal phthalocyanine oxidation catalyst at oxidation conditions to oxidize the mercaptides to liquid disulfides; (d) separating a major portion of the liquid disulfides from the aqueous alkaline solution which contains residual disulfides in a separation zone; (e) passing the residual disulfide containing aqueous alkaline solution to a reduction zone and reducing the residual disulfides to mercaptans at reduction conditions; and, (f) recycling the mercaptan containing aqueous alkaline solution to the extraction zone.

• Assignee: UOP Inc., Des Plaines, IL
• Patent Number(s): US 4705620
• OSTI ID: 5737455
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
400201* -- Chemical & Physicochemical Properties
ALKALINE EARTH METAL COMPOUNDS
AQUEOUS SOLUTIONS
CATALYSTS
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
DESULFURIZATION
DISPERSIONS
DYES
EXTRACTION
HETEROCYCLIC COMPOUNDS
HYDROCARBONS
MIXTURES
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC SULFUR COMPOUNDS
OXIDATION
OXIDIZERS
PHTHALOCYANINES
PROCESS SOLUTIONS
PURIFICATION
RECYCLING
SEPARATION PROCESSES
SOLUTIONS
SOLVENT EXTRACTION
SULFUR CONTENT
THIOLS