Abstract:
Petroleum coke is processed to reduce the sulfur content. Ground coke is contacted with hot hydrogen, under pressurized conditions, for a residence time of about 2 to 60 seconds. The desulfurized coke is suitable for metallurgical or electrode uses.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention concerns the desulfurization of petroleum coke. More particularly, it relates to the treatment of petroleum coke at elevated temperatures and pressures in the presence of hydrogen. 
     Petroleum coke, as produced from sour crude oils by known and recognized processes, contains sulfur, in various forms, in the range of about 3 to 6 wt.%. Coke used for metallurgical or electrode purposes requires a reduction in the sulfur content, to about 1 to 11/2 wt.%, and a low volatile matter content. This lower sulfur and volatile content coke commands a substantially higher price than ordinary petroleum coke sold for its fuel value. Typically, electrode manufacturers grind and calcine crude petroleum coke to obtain the specifications on sulfur and volatile matter. 
     Various methods have been used to reduce the sulfur content of petroleum coke. Heating of coke to a temperature of about 2600° F. (1425° C.), to remove a maximum amount of sulfur while it is in an &#34;absorbed&#34; or easily removable form, is one suggested method. Another process uses a plurality of heating zones, with the coke being held at various temperatures for various times. A different process includes the steps of contacting coke with hydrogen at a superatmospheric pressure and at a temperature at which substantial desulfurization occurs, but below the temperature at which substantial volatilization of the charge occurs. Another process desulfurizes coke by the use of hydrogen at relatively low temperatures and at a high pressure. Broadly, the above-described processes involve relatively lengthy residence times, such as from a few minutes to a few hours. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention reduces the sulfur content of a relatively high-sulfur petroleum coke by subjecting the coke to a high temperature, high pressure treatment in the presence of hydrogen, at a relatively short residence time. 
     This process of desulfurization and devolatilization of petroleum coke broadly involves the steps of grinding petroleum coke and introducing this ground coke into a reactor. In the reactor the coke is contacted with hot high-pressure hydrogen, so as to heat the coke rapidly to the desired reaction temperature, and is held at this reaction temperature for a relatively short residence time. The treated coke is then removed from the reactor. 
     By producing a coke having lowered sulfur and volatile matter content, the invention saves the electrode manufacturer a calcining step. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The drawings show three embodiments of the invention. 
     FIG. 1 is a block diagram of the process involving a de-agglomeration reactor and a desulfurization reactor. 
     FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a desulfurization reactor. 
     FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a fluidized-bed desulfurization reactor and associated equipment. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention concerns the desulfurization and devolatilization of petroleum coke by the use of short residence time hydrogenation technology. 
     Crude petroleum coke is a commercial product, prepared by a number of manufacturers. Broadly, the coke is characterized by a relatively high sulfur content, such as from about 3 to about 6 wt.%, volatile matter content of about 5 to 15 wt.% and ash content of about 0.1 to 1 wt.%. 
     Since we have found during testing that, broadly, the ease of sulfur removal is generally inversely proportional to the particle size, the raw petroleum coke is ground to a particle size, such that at least 90 wt.% passes through a No. 50 sieve (U.S. Sieve Series). Grinding to a smaller particle size is acceptable but may not be commercially efficient. 
     The ground coke is introduced into a reactor, where it is contacted by hot hydrogen, typically in concurrent and turbulent flow. The temperature of the hydrogen stream can vary from about 870° C. (1600° F.) to about 1370° C. (2500° F.), with the hydrogen/coke wt. ratio varying from about 0.05 to about 10. Excess hydrogen is typically separated from the product stream and recycled, having a purity of about 60 to 90%. 
     With rapid agitation of the reactants, such as by turbulent or tangential flow, the coke particles are rapidly heated to a reaction temperature varying from about 700° C. (1290° F.) to about 980° C. (1800° F.). The hydrogen partial pressure in the reactor varies from about 300 psi to about 2000 psi (21 kg/cm 2  to 141 kg/cm 2 ). The treated coke is then cooled and removed from the reactor. 
     The total residence or contact time, at reaction temperature, including heat up, reaction, and cooling times, varies from about 2 to about 60 seconds. 
     The volatile matter by proximate analysis is determined by known methods. 
     Coke from the pyrolysis of coal can be used as feed in this process, but coal coke has different properties, such as volatile and ash content. Coke derived from processing of tar sands bitumen and from oil shale kerogen can also be used. 
     One variation in the typical process concerns leaching of the ground coke feed with 1 N HCl at 150° F. for 2 hours, followed by washing and drying of the coke. This pretreatment typically results in a lowering of the sulfur content of the feed before the hydrogenation treatment. 
     Another variation in the procedure concerns the potential agglomeration of coke obtained from sour crude. Anti-agglomerating treatments were tried, such as acid washing with HCl and air pretreatment. Leaching the coke with toluene was partially effective, but a small amount of residual toluene was left on the coke and was not easily removed before the hydrogenation treatment. Pyrolysis of the untreated coke for 30 minutes in a nitrogen atmosphere at 850° F. (455° C.), followed by regrinding of the product, gave a feed material which was no longer agglomerating. 
     EXAMPLE 1 
     This embodiment concerns the use of delayed coke having sufficient volatile matter to cause agglomeration in the desulfurization reactor. As shown in FIG. 1, a de-agglomerating reactor is used to remove enough volatile material to make the coke non-agglomerating. The de-agglomerating reactor, as shown in FIG. 1, is exemplified by a rotating kiln operating at 850° F. (455° C.) and approximately atmospheric pressure of inert recycle gas. The reactor has internal baffles to reduce agglomeration. Typical residence time is about 30 minutes, depending on the volatile content of the feed coke and the desired product. 
     The partially devolatilized coke is then fed to the pressurized desulfurization reactor, concurrently with heated hydrogen. The mixture is entrained upwardly toward the reactor outlet. The sour coke feed to the de-agglomerating reactor is a product from Arabian crude and is crushed to 99 wt.% through 50 mesh (U.S. Sieve series). 
     The desulfurized coke is quenched to less than 1000° F. (540° C.) by a water spray. The total effluent is processed by typical means, and the gaseous, liquid and solid products are separated. The major product, sweet coke, has a sulfur content of about 2.5 wt.%. The level of sulfur in the treated product is thus about 60 wt.% of the sulfur in the feed. 
     Analysis and operating parameters are: 
     
         ______________________________________Coke Analysis   Feed (Wt. %)                      Product______________________________________C               88.8       92.0H               3.6        2.2N               1.4        1.4S               4.2        2.5Ash             0.2        0.3O (by difference)           1.8        1.6           100.0      100.0Volatile Matter 10.7       5.0______________________________________Desulfurizer ConditionsAve. Reactor Temp. 1670° F. (910° C.)Ave. Reactor Pressure              600 psia (42.2 kg/cm.sup.2)H.sub.2 Purity     83 vol. %Residence Time     2.1 sec.H.sub.2 /coke feed wt. ratio              0.1Preheat H.sub.2 temp.              2725° F. (1495° C.)Products Per Ton Feed Coke(combined de-agglom-erator and desulfurizer)Sweet Coke (2.5 wt. % S)                  1540   lb.Gas Oil                0.64   bbl.Fuel Gas (950 btu/scf) 6070   scfH.sub.2 S              46     lb.______________________________________ 
    
     EXAMPLE 2 
     The invention is exemplified by the use of sour coke particles, obtained from the fluid coking of tar sands bitumen, as feed for a desulfurization reactor. The feedstock coke is crushed to pass 90% through 50 mesh (U.S. Sieve series) and is then fed by hydrogen transport to an entrained downflow reactor, as shown in FIG. 2. The coke contacts preheated hydrogen, and the temperature of the mixture is maintained at the desired temperature for the required residence time. The effluent is quenched and then processed, giving a sweet coke of reduced sulfur content as the major product. Here, the sulfur level in the product coke is about 25% of that in the feed coke. 
     
         ______________________________________Coke Analysis   Feed (wt. %)                      Product______________________________________C               87.25      92.8H               2.8        2.9N               1.8        1.5S               5.8        1.5O (by difference)           1.8        1.6Ash             0.55       0.7           100.0      100.0______________________________________Operating ConditionsAve. Reactor Temp.             1780° F. (971° C.)Ave. Reactor Pressure             2000 psia (1406 kg/cm.sup.2)H.sub.2 Purity    91 vol. %Residence Time    10 sec.H.sub.2 /coke feed wt. ratio             10Preheat H.sub.2 temperature             1800° F. (982° C.)Products Per Ton Coke FeedSweet Coke (1.5% S)    1235    lb.Methane                13777   scfEthane                 367     scfBenzene                0.53    bbl.H.sub.2 S              103     lb.______________________________________ 
    
     EXAMPLE 3 
     As shown in FIG. 3, this example utilizes a fluidized bed desulfurizer. The feed is delayed coke, which is crushed to pass 90% through 100 mesh (U.S. Sieve series). The crushed coke is fed to the reactor where it contacts hot hydrogen. The desulfurized coke is withdrawn from the bed via an overflow pipe, while the effluent gases pass through a cyclone separator and then a gas processing section. The hydrogen-rich portion of the treated gas is recycled to the desulfurizer, while the remainder of the gaseous portion is used as clean fuel gas. The product coke has a sulfur level amounting to about 40% of that of the feed coke. 
     
         ______________________________________Coke Analysis   Feed (wt. %)                      Product______________________________________C               93.45      95.15H               3.2        2.5N               0.9        0.9S               1.3        0.48O (by difference)           1.1        0.9Ash             0.05       0.07           100.0      100.0______________________________________Operating ConditionsAve. Reactor Temp. 1500° F. (815° C.)Ave. Reactor Pressure              1000 psi (70.3 kg/cm.sup.2)H.sub.2 Purity     75 vol. %Residence Time     50 sec.H.sub.2 /Coke Feed Wt. Ratio              0.5Preheat H.sub.2 Temperature              1860° F. (1015° C.)Superficial Gas Velocityin Reactor         1.1 fpsFluidized Bed Density              28 lb/ft.sup.3Products Per Ton Coke FeedSweet Coke (0.48 wt. % S)                  1493    lb.Methane                11825   scfGas Oil                0.26    bbl.H.sub.2 S              20      lb.______________________________________