Process for reducing the total acid number in refinery feedstocks

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017226430-A1
Application number	US-201715497920-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Apr 26, 2017
Priority date	Jul 29, 2011
Publication date	Aug 10, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

A process is described for reducing the total acid number of a refinery feedstock. A refinery feedstock containing naphthenic acids is contacted with an effective amount of solid catalyst that has been pretreated with an aqueous caustic base, for a period of time sufficient to neutralize at least a portion of the naphthenic acids in the feedstock. Thereafter, the aqueous phase is separated from the neutralized refinery feedstock.

First claim

1 - 15 . (canceled)

16 . The process of claim 118 , which further includes adding an emulsion breaking additive to the treated mixture to minimize emulsion formation.

17 . The process of claim 16 , wherein the emulsion breaking additive is triethanolamine, ethoxylated phenol resins, zinc chloride, or polymerized trithionylamine.

18 . A process for reducing the total acid number of a refinery feedstock containing naphthenic acids, the process comprising contacting the refinery feedstock containing naphthenic acids with an effective amount of solid catalyst that has been pretreated with a caustic base for a period of time sufficient to neutralize at least a portion of the naphthenic acids in the refinery feedstock to produce a treated product having reduced total acid number.

19 . The process of claim 18 , wherein the solid catalyst is a single or a group of catalysts which exhibit basic properties.

20 . The process of claim 18 , wherein the solid catalyst comprised of at least one metal oxide including one or more materials selected from the group consisting of zinc oxide, aluminum oxide, zinc aluminates, and layered double hydroxides including magnesium/aluminum.

21 . The process of claim 18 , wherein the refinery feedstock contains carboxylic acids.

22 . The process of claim 18 , wherein the caustic base is sodium hydroxide or potassium hydroxide.

23 . The process of claim 18 , wherein the refinery feedstock is supplied with a liquid hourly space velocity in the range of from 0.1 to 10 h −1 .

24 . The process of claim 18 , wherein the refinery feedstock is supplied with a liquid hourly space velocity in the range of from 0.5 to 4 h −1 .

25 . The process of claim 18 , wherein the refinery feedstock is supplied with a liquid hourly space velocity in the range of from 1 to 2 h −1 .

26 . The process of claim 18 , wherein the neutralization reaction is conducted at a temperature in the range of from 200 to 600° C.

27 . The process of claim 18 , wherein neutralization reaction is conducted at a temperature in the range of from 300 to 400° C.

28 . The process of claim 18 , wherein neutralization reaction is conducted at a temperature in the range of from 300 to 350° C.

29 . The process of claim 18 , wherein neutralization reaction is conducted at a pressure in the range of from 1 to 20 Kg/cm 2 .

30 . The process of claim 18 , wherein neutralization reaction is conducted at a pressure in the range of from 1 to 10 Kg/cm 2 .

31 . The process of claim 29 , wherein the pressure is maintained by refinery feedstock pressure alone, without any supply of added overhead or blanketing gas.

32 . A catalyst component for reducing the total acid number of a refinery feedstock containing naphthenic acids comprising one or more materials selected from the group consisting of zinc oxide, aluminum oxide, zinc aluminates, and layered double hydroxides including magnesium/aluminum, wherein the catalyst component has been pretreated with an aqueous caustic base.

33 . The catalyst component of claim 32 , wherein the aqueous caustic base comprises sodium hydroxide or potassium hydroxide.

34 . The process of claim 18 , further comprising phase separating the treated mixture into an aqueous phase and a neutralized refinery feedstock.

35 . The process of claim 18 , wherein the pretreatment of the solid catalyst is carried out in situ in a neutralization vessel used for contacting the refinery feedstock.

36 . The process of claim 18 , wherein the pretreatment of the solid catalyst is carried out ex situ in a continuous tubular vessel.

37 . The process of claim 18 , wherein the pretreatment of the solid catalyst is carried out ex situ in a batch vessel.

Assignees

• Saudi Arabian Oil Co

Inventors

• Koseoglu Omer Refa
• Al-Hajji Adnan
• Muller Hendrik
• Al Jawad Hanadi

Classifications

• C10G2300/4012

  Pressure · CPC title

• B01J27/236

  Hydroxy carbonates · CPC title

• B01J37/06

  Washing {(B01J37/0009, B01J37/0018 take precedence)} · CPC title

• C10G25/003

  Specific sorbent material, not covered by C10G25/02 or C10G25/03 · CPC title

• C10G29/16 Primary

  Metal oxides · CPC title