Patent ID: 8696889
Filing Date: 2014-04-15
Classification: C10G

Abstract:
1. A process for desulfurizing a sulfur-containing hydrocarbon stream, comprising: a) contacting a sulfur-containing hydrocarbon stream with an API gravity less than about 40 with an alkali metal hydroxide in a first reaction zone, thereby producing a desulfurized hydrocarbon/spent alkali metal reagent stream; b) conducting the desulfurized hydrocarbon/spent alkali metal reagent stream to a first separation zone, wherein at least a portion of the desulfurized hydrocarbons are separated from the spent alkali metal reagents, thereby producing a desulfurized hydrocarbon product stream; c) conducting at least a portion of the spent alkali metal reagents to a second reaction zone, wherein the spent alkali metal reagents are contacted with a transition metal oxide selected from copper oxide, zinc oxide, cobalt oxide, nickel oxide and iron oxide, and wherein the spent alkali metal reagents are comprised of alkali metal hydrosulfides, and at least a portion of the alkali metal hydrosulfides are converted to alkali metal hydroxides and at least a portion of the transition metal oxides are converted to transition metal sulfides, thereby producing a desulfurized alkali metal stream comprised of alkali metal hydroxides and transition metal sulfides; d) conducting at least a portion of the desulfurized alkali metal stream to a second separation zone, wherein at least a portion of the transition metal sulfides are separated from the alkali metal hydroxides; e) conducting at least a portion of the separated alkali metal hydroxides to the first reaction zone as a regenerated alkali metal hydroxide stream; f) conducting at least a portion of the separated transition metal sulfides to a first regeneration zone, wherein the separated transition metal sulfides are contacted with an oxygen-containing stream at a temperature from about 1000 to about 2000° F., thereby converting at least a portion of the separated transition metal sulfides to separated transition metal oxides; and g) conducting at least a portion of the separated transition metal oxides to the second reaction zone; wherein the separated transition metal sulfides are comprised of copper(II) sulfides and are first heated under inert atmosphere to decompose any copper(II) sulfides to copper(I) sulfides and sulfur, before contacting with an oxygen-containing stream.