Catalytic caustic desulfonylation

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11008522-B2
Application number	US-201916599622-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 11, 2019
Priority date	Mar 8, 2016
Publication date	May 18, 2021
Grant date	May 18, 2021

Abstract

A caustic desulfonylation method and system comprising a reactor vessel with a solid carbonaceous selectivity promoter provided therein, a liquid feed input of the reactor vessel configured to receive a source of caustic, a hydrocarbon feed comprising oxidized sulfur containing compounds and a gas feed input of the reactor vessel configured to receive a source of hydrogen. The caustic desulfonylation method and system further includes an output of the reactor vessel releasing the caustic and an upgraded hydrocarbon product with sulfur content less than the sulfur content of the hydrocarbon feed received by the liquid feed of the reactor vessel.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system comprising:
an oxidizer vessel for oxidizing a hydrocarbon stream and thereby generating an intermediate stream;
a distillation column for separating oxidized heteroatom containing compounds from the intermediate stream and thereby generating a distilled oxidized hydrocarbon stream; and
a reactor vessel for housing a desulfonylation reaction of the distilled oxidized hydrocarbon stream inside the reactor vessel, the reactor vessel configured such that when the desulfonylation reaction of the distilled oxidized hydrocarbon stream takes place inside the reactor vessel:
a solid selectivity promoter remains inside the reactor vessel while the desulfonylation reaction of the distilled oxidized hydrocarbon stream takes place inside the reactor vessel; and
the solid selectivity promoter is regenerated while the desulfonylation reaction of the distilled oxidized hydrocarbon stream takes place inside the reactor vessel.

2. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a separating vessel;
wherein the desulfonylation reaction of the distilled oxidized hydrocarbon stream results in an upgraded hydrocarbon product; and
wherein the separating vessel separates the upgraded hydrocarbon product into a light phase.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the solid selectivity promoter comprises at least one of activated carbon, graphite, graphene, coal, and an asphaltene.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein an interior of the reactor vessel is pressurized with a hydrogen gas.

5. The system of claim 4 , wherein the interior of the reactor vessel is pressurized with the hydrogen gas to a pressure of at least 200 psig.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein a caustic is used in the desulfonylation reaction of the distilled hydrocarbon stream and wherein the caustic comprises an inorganic basic compound.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein the inorganic basic compound includes at least one of: an inorganic oxide from a group IA or IIA element, an inorganic hydroxide from a group IA or IIA element, a mixture of oxides and hydroxides from group IA or IIA elements, a molten hydroxide from a group IA or IIA element, and a mixture of hydroxides from group IA or IIA elements.

8. The system of claim 6 , wherein the caustic comprises the inorganic basic compound at about 50% weight in water.

9. The system of claim 6 , wherein the caustic comprises at least one of: Li 2 O, Na 2 O, K 2 O, Rb 2 O, Cs 2 O, Fr 2 O, B 2 O, MgO, CaO, SrO, BaO, LiOH, NaOH, KOH, RbOH, CsOH, FrOH, Be(OH) 2 , Mg(OH) 2 , Ca(OH) 2 , Sr(OH) 2 , Ba(OH) 2 , and green liquor.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the intermediate stream comprises the oxidized heteroatom containing compounds and wherein the oxidized heteroatom containing compounds are formed by oxidizing the hydrocarbon stream with an oxidant in the oxidizer vessel.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the oxidized heteroatom containing compounds are also formed by an acid treatment.

12. The system of claim 10 , wherein a catalyst is used in the presence of the oxidant.

13. The system of claim 12 , wherein the catalyst is bound to a support surface.

14. The system of claim 13 , wherein the support surface comprises one of an organic polymer and an inorganic oxide.

15. The system of claim 4 , wherein the hydrogen gas regenerates the solid selectivity promoter.

Assignees

• Auterra Inc
• Cenovus Energy Inc

Inventors

• Rankin Jonathan
• Briggs Sarah

Classifications

• C10G45/04 Primary

  characterised by the catalyst used · CPC title

• C10G2300/202

  Heteroatoms content, i.e. S, N, O, P · CPC title