Desulfurization of heavy hydrocarbons and conversion of resulting hydrosulfides utilizing copper sulfide

摘要

The present invention is a process for desulfurizing hydrocarbon feedstreams with alkali metal compounds and regenerating the alkali metal compounds via the use of a copper sulfide reagent. The present invention employs the use of a copper sulfide reagent to convert alkali metal hydrosulfides in the generation or regeneration of the alkali hydroxide compounds which may be utilized in a desulfurization process for hydrocarbon feedstreams. Additionally, in preferred embodiments of the processes disclosed herein, carbonates which form as byproducts of the desulfurization process, and are non-regenerable with copper sulfide, are removed from the alkali hydroxide stream.

主权项

1. A process for desulfurizing a sulfur-containing hydrocarbon stream, comprising:
a) contacting a sulfur-containing hydrocarbon stream with an API gravity less than about 40 with an alkali metal hydroxide in a first reaction zone, thereby producing a desulfurized hydrocarbon/spent alkali metal reagent stream; b) conducting the desulfurized hydrocarbon/spent alkali metal reagent stream to a first separation zone, wherein at least a portion of the desulfurized hydrocarbons are separated from the spent alkali metal reagents, thereby producing a desulfurized hydrocarbon product stream; c) conducting at least a portion in of the spent alkali metal reagents to a second reaction zone, wherein the spent alkali metal reagents are contacted with a copper sulfide reactant, and wherein the spent alkali metal reagents are comprised of alkali metal hydrosulfides, and at least a portion of the alkali metal hydrosulfides are converted to regenerated alkali metal hydroxides and at least a portion of the copper sulfide reactant is converted to copper sulfide reaction products, thereby producing a desulfurized alkali metal stream comprised of regenerated alkali metal hydroxides and copper sulfide reaction products; d) conducting at least a portion of the desulfurized alkali metal stream to a second separation zone, wherein at least a portion of the copper sulfide reaction products are separated from the regenerated alkali metal hydroxides; e) conducting at least a portion of the regenerated alkali metal hydroxides to the first reaction zone as a regenerated alkali metal hydroxide stream; f) conducting at least a portion of the copper sulfide reaction products to a first regeneration zone, wherein the copper sulfide reaction products are heated under a non-oxidizing atmosphere to a temperature from about 700 to about 2000° F., thereby converting at least a portion of the copper sulfide reaction products to regenerated copper sulfide reactants; and g) conducting at least a portion of the regenerated copper sulfide reactants to the second reaction zone.