Process, Method, and System for Removing Heavy Metals From Fluids

摘要

Mercury in distilled products from a distillation column is removed and extracted as soluble mercury compounds with the injection of a complexing agent into the overhead sections of the column. Examples of complexing agents include polysulfides such as sodium polysulfide or ammonium polysulfide. In one embodiment, the complexing agent is injected into the inlet pipe just before the overhead condenser, converting the volatile elemental mercury into a species that is soluble in the sour water stream that collected in the overhead sections.

主权项

1. A process for reducing the mercury content from a crude distillation unit comprising a distillation column and an overhead condenser, the process comprising:
fractionally distilling a crude product containing at least 50 ppbw mercury to form overhead vapor fractions comprising light naphtha having a first concentration of mercury; contacting the overhead vapor fractions with a complexing agent to convert at least a portion of the mercury into water soluble mercury in solution, for a light naphtha product having a reduced concentration of mercury; removing the solution containing water soluble mercury from the crude distillation unit; recovering the light naphtha product from an upper section of the distillation column.