PROCESS, METHOD, AND SYSTEM FOR REMOVING HEAVY METALS FROM FLUIDS

摘要

Trace amount levels of heavy metals such as mercury in crude oil are reduced by contacting the crude oil with a sufficient amount of a reducing agent to convert at least a portion of the non-volatile mercury into a volatile form of mercury, which can be subsequently removed by any of stripping, scrubbing, adsorption, and combinations thereof. In one embodiment, at least 50% of the mercury is removed. In another embodiment, the removal rate is at least 99%. In one embodiment, the reducing agent is selected from sulfur compounds containing at least one sulfur atom having an oxidation state less than +6; ferrous compounds; stannous compounds; oxalates; cuprous compounds; organic acids which decompose to form CO2 and / or H2 upon heating; hydroxylamine compounds; hydrazine compounds; sodium borohydride; diisobutylaluminium hydride; thiourea; transition metal halides; and mixtures thereof.