Process for extractive-stripping of lean hydrocarbon gas streams at high pressure with a preferential physical solvent
This patent describes a process for selectively extracting hydrocarbons from a hydrocarbon gas feed stream with a preferential physical solvent which provides selective capability for extremely high recoveries according to any selected degree of a selected hydrocarbon component and heavier hydrocarbons within the group consisting of ethane, propane, butane, and pentane without the need simultaneously to recover hydrocarbons lighter than the selected hydrocarbon component from the hydrocarbon gas feed stream. The recoveries are: (a) ethane in amounts within the range of 2-100%, (b) propane in amounts within the range of 2-100%, (c) butane in amounts within the range of 2-100%, or (d) pentanes and higher molecular weight hydrocarbons in amounts ranging up to 100% by the following steps: (a) selectively extracting and stripping the hydrocarbon gas feed stream with the physical solvent to produce a residue hydrocarbon gas stream of pipeline specifications and a rich solvent stream containing ethane and heavier hydrocarbon components, (b) distilling the rich solvent to produce: (1) the selected hydrocarbon component and heavier hydrocarbons as overhead product. The improvement comprises the selective enrichment of the hydrocarbon gas feed stream with recycle of a selected portion of the overhead product to the extracting and stripping step, whereby the extremely high recoveries according to the any selected degree are feasible without the excessive solvent flow rates or the high reboiler temperatures.
- Assignee:
- Advanced Extraction Technologies, Inc., Houston, TX
- Patent Number(s):
- US 4695672
- OSTI ID:
- 5896777
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
400201* -- Chemical & Physicochemical Properties
ALKANES
BOILERS
BUTANE
DISTILLATION
ETHANE
EXTRACTION
FEASIBILITY STUDIES
FLUID FLOW
FLUIDS
GAS FLOW
GASES
HYDROCARBONS
MEDIUM PRESSURE
MOLECULAR WEIGHT
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
PENTANE
PERFORMANCE
PROPANE
QUANTITY RATIO
RECOVERY
SEPARATION PROCESSES
SOLVENT EXTRACTION
SOLVENTS