PROCESS FOR REMOVING SULPHUR COMPOUNDS FROM HYDROCARBONS

摘要

The present disclosure relates to a process for reducing the sulphur content of hydrocarbon feedstocks such as Natural Gas Condensate, Kerosene, Jet Fuel, Diesel, Vacuum Gas Oil and Fuel Oil. The process uses a tailored oxidation process comprising one or two oxidation steps to produce sulphoxides and/or sulphones. These sulphoxides and sulphones, whilst being still present in the liquid hydrocarbon streams, are subsequently extracted thereby producing a low sulphur hydrocarbon stream and optionally following further treatment of the sulphoxides and/or sulphones, produce a low sulphur aromatic hydrocarbon stream and an aqueous stream of sodium sulphite or sulphuric acid. The low sulphur hydrocarbon stream and low sulphur aromatic hydrocarbon stream may be individually recycled or combined for recycling.

主权项

1. A process for reducing the sulphur content of a hydrocarbon material containing sulphur compounds, the process comprising:
a) contacting the hydrocarbon material with one or more primary oxidants to provide a primary oxidised hydrocarbon material such that the primary oxidant oxidizes the sulphur compounds to sulphoxide and/or sulphone compounds,wherein the primary oxidant is selected from one or more of the group consisting of N-chloroimide, hypobromous acid, hypochlorous acid, electrolyzed oxidizing water and catalysed and co-catalysed hydrogen peroxide;
c) contacting the primary oxidised hydrocarbon material with an extractant to allow at least a portion of the sulphoxide and/or sulphone compounds to be extracted into the extractant to give a sulphoxide and/or sulphone stream and a low sulphur hydrocarbon stream; and d) separating the sulphoxide and/or sulphone stream from the low sulphur hydrocarbon stream.