Patent ID: 9649638
Date: 2017-05-16
CPC Classifications: B01D,B03C,C10G

Claim:
1. A method of removing organic contaminants from a contaminated solvent stream that contains acids and acid byproducts and an organic solvent where the contaminated solvent stream flows through a system that includes equipment that comes into contact with the organic solvent which method comprises the steps of: (a) exposing the acids and acid byproducts in the contaminated solvent stream which contain organic contaminants to the equipment thereby causing release of ferric ions from the equipment into the contaminated solvent stream whereby the ferric ions form paramagnetic corrosion products in the contaminated solvent stream; (b) maintaining the contaminated solvent stream at conditions that cause the paramagnetic corrosion products to become occluded in the organic contaminants that comprise organic degradation products; and (c) exposing the contaminated solvent stream to magnets which are located in a solvent rejuvenation apparatus and that attract and remove the organic contaminants, that are occluded with the paramagnetic corrosion products, from the contaminated solvent stream to yield a clean organic solvent stream, wherein the solvent rejuvenation apparatus comprises: a high pressure vessel with a removable cover; a rack with a plurality of stainless steel tubes fitted within the high pressure vessel, wherein a magnet is inserted into each of the plurality of stainless steel tubes; a screen cylinder fitted in the rack at a center of the high pressure vessel, wherein the screen cylinder partially encloses the plurality of stainless steel tubes and wherein each stainless steel tube has an exterior surface that contacts the contaminated solvent stream and onto which the organic contaminants accumulate; an inlet through which the contaminated solvent stream enters the high pressure vessel such that the contaminated solvent stream comes into direct communication with the plurality of stainless steel tubes without having to pass through the screen cylinder; and an outlet through which rejuvenated clean solvent, subsequent to passing through the screen cylinder, exits the high pressure vessel and wherein each of the plurality of stainless steel tubes is separated from the outlet by the screen cylinder.