Patent ID: 8557101
Filing Date: 2013-10-15
Classification: C10G,C10L

Abstract:
1. A process for removing sulfur from a sulfur-containing petroleum feedstream having at least a portion of its sulfur in the form of hindered dibenzothiophene compounds, comprising: a) passing a sulfur-containing petroleum feedstream to an electrochemical cell in the substantial absence of hydrogen and water; b) subjecting said sulfur-containing petroleum feedstream to an effective voltage and current that will result in the conversion of at least 5 wt % of said hindered dibenzothiophene compounds wherein at least 25 wt % of these converted hindered dibenzothiophene compounds are mercaptan compounds, thereby producing an electrochemically treated petroleum feedstream; c) passing the electrochemically treated petroleum feedstream containing said mercaptans compounds to a mercaptan treatment zone wherein it is contacted with an aqueous caustic solution wherein mercaptan-containing compounds are extracted by the aqueous caustic solution; and d) collecting a reduced mercaptan sulfur petroleum product stream from the mercaptan treatment zone; wherein the reduced mercaptan sulfur petroleum product stream has a lower sulfur content by wt % than the electrochemically treated petroleum feedstream.