Patent ID: 6165348
Filing Date: 2000-12-26
Classification: C10G

Abstract:
A base component product for a compression ignition internal combustion engine fuel blend with an improved cetane index and sulphur content, produced by a process comprisinga) hydrotreating an initial hydrocarbon feed with an initial boiling point of at least 150.degree. C. and a final boiling point of at most 500.degree. C., containing about 0.05% to about 5% by weight of sulphur, about 10% to about 60% by weight of n- and isoalkanes, about 10% to about 85% by weight of aromatic hydrocarbons at least partially in the form of polyaromatic compounds optionally containing sulphur, with a cetane index of about 20 to about 60 and a nitrogen content of about 50 to about 5000 ppm by weight, under conditions which produce a product (P) containing 2 to 50 times less sulphur than the initial feed, said hydrotreatment being carried out at a partial pressure of hydrogen at the reactor outlet of about 0.5 MPa to about 5 MPa, such that the dearomatisation ratio of the feed is at most 30%,b) separating product (P) into a product (P2), with an initial boiling point which is greater than the boiling point of extraction solvent used in c), and a product (P1) with a final boiling point which is lower than the initial boiling point of product P2,c) liquid/liquid extracting product (P2) from b), at an extraction temperature of at most 140.degree. C., under conditions which will extract polyaromatic compounds, using a solvent or solvent mixture (S1) to extract at least a portion of the polyaromatic compounds contained therein, said solvent having an initial boiling point which is lower than the initial boiling point of product (P2) from b), and recovering an extract (E1), which is enriched in polyaromatic compounds, and a raffinate (R1),d) separating solvent (S1) used in c) from raffinate (R1) produced in c), and recovering a base component product which is enriched in solvent (S1) and a product (Q1) which is depleted in solvent (S1) which has improved qualities, ande) removing a light fraction from at least a portion of product (P1) from b) to produce a fraction (F), and mixing fraction (F) with at least a portion of product (Q1) from d, to produce a base component product having a sulfur content no more than 50 ppm of sulphur.