Patent ID: 6273102
Filing Date: 2001-08-14
Classification: B01J,B08B

Abstract:
A method of cleaning a petroleum refining plant having process equipment including equipment using at least one catalyst which becomes agglomerated during the petroleum refining process and which can be softened with a cleaning fluid and coated with a coating agent, and piping connecting the process equipment, consisting of the sequential steps:a first step cleaning the process equipment and the piping and simultaneously softening said at least one agglomerated catalyst occurring inside the process equipment with said cleaning fluid which is selected from the group consisting of an alkali cleaning fluid, limonene, lecithin, polyoxyethylene fatty amide, dimethyl sulfoxide, and nonyl phenol;a second step of rinsing the process equipment and the piping and simultaneously coating a surface of the softened catalyst with said coating agent which is selected from the group consisting of condensed ring aromatic hydrocarbons, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, and aliphatic hydrocarbons; anda third step of unloading the softened and coated catalyst from the process equipment containing the catalyst and simultaneously re-rinsing the process equipment and the piping.