Patent ID: 9580315
Date: 2017-02-28
CPC Classifications: B01D,C01B,H05K,Y02C,Y02P

Claim:
1. A method for removing solids and semi-volatile organic compounds (SVOC) from unconditioned syngas having steam contained therein, the unconditioned syngas having a first temperature above a SVOC condensation temperature, the method comprising: (a) contacting the unconditioned syngas with a solvent and water to reduce the temperature of the syngas to below the SVOC condensation temperature to thereby form an intermediate SVOC-depleted syngas containing steam, and a first mixture comprising SVOC, solids, solvent and water; (b) removing steam from the intermediate SVOC-depleted syngas containing steam to form: (i) a first depleted syngas stream which has a reduced amount of SVOC relative to the unconditioned gas stream, and (ii) a second mixture comprising SVOC, solids, solvent and water; (c) separating the water within the second mixture based upon immiscibility so that the SVOC, solids and solvent collect together to form a third mixture above the water; (d) separating the solids from the SVOC and solvent in a vessel having at least one liquid phase candle filter such that the solids agglomerate on a surface of the candle filter and form a filter cake having density greater than that of water within the vessel; (e) backflushing the candle filter to loosen the filter cake so that the filter cake sinks into the water within the vessel; and (f) removing the filter cake from a bottom of the vessel.