Patent GB-311285-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to processes of refining liquid hydrocarbons
IPC: C10G17/06
Filed: 1929-05-07
Abstract: 311,285. Silica Gel Corporation. May 8, 1928, [Convention date]. Mineral and tar oils, purifying. - Gasolene, kerosene, benzol, and other liquid hydrocarbons are refined, at an elevated temperature and under pressure sufficient to maintain the liquid phase, by means of such an amount of an acid, e.g, sulphuric acid, or of aluminium chloride or dimethyl sulphate as will react with only a portion of the gum-forming constituents, and an adsorbent such as silica gel, tungstic oxide gel, alumina gel, stannic oxide gel, bauxite, fuller's earth bentonite, active carbon, adsorbent clays, and earthy oxides. The adsorbent may be impregnated with one or more metal oxides, e.g. up to 1 per cent of oxides of iron, copper, zinc, antimony, and silver. The acid may be added to the oil, the adsorbent, or both. Treatment at ordinary temperature with silica gel or other adsorbent impregnated or not with metallic oxides mav follow. The refined oil is then distilled, and may be washed with water or dilute caustic solution. Using the apparatus shown, oil is pumped from a tank 27 through a pipe 28, a heat-exchanger 29, a heater 80, a pipe 31 and one of the percolators 18, 19 packed with silica gel from an agitator 12 supplied with absorbent from the hopper 10. acid from a spray 13, and about 3 volumes of treated oil from a pipe 14. The refined oil passes by a, pipe 34 to the heat-exchanger 29, a cooler 35, a pipe 36, and one of the storage tanks 37. Each percolator is steam-jacketed so as to maintain the oil at about 250-300‹ F., and is furnished with an agitator 25<a>. Acid may be added to the oil in the tank 27 or by a pipe 26<a>; 0.1-0.5 per cent of 80-100 per cent sulphuric acid is suitable, added either continuously or periodically. Acid may be used to predry the oil. The used adsorbent is discharged through a pipe 38 to an agitator 39, a pipe 40, and a vacuum filter 41. The filtrate passes by a pipe 48 to a vacuum receiver 47, a pipe 49, and a pump 15 connected by the pipe 14 to the mixer 10. The filtered adsorbent is taken by a conveyer 50 to activators 51, 55 in which it is heated by gases from a furnace 52 and then by a conveyer 57 and a pipe 58 to a cyclone separator 59 from which the air-freed adsorbent settles into the hopper 10. Any oil vaporized in the activators is passed by a pipe 63 to a condenser 64, a pipe 65 and a tank 66. The pressurenecessary to maintain the oil liquid in the percolators &c. is obtained by regulating the outlet valves 32', 33<1> on the percolators, or the valves 36<1> to the storage tanks 37. The valves 36<1> may be operated automatically by the pressure in the percolators. The preferred adsorbent is silica gel produced as described in Specification 136,543, [Class 1 (ii), Inorganic compounds, other than &c.], impregnated with copper oxide or a mixture of iron oxide and copper oxide. Specifications 213,881, 225,891, 269,242, 292,231 and 299,925 also are referred to. The Specification as open to inspection under Sect. 91 (3) (a) describes the use of any agent condensing the unsaturated bodies, and is not limited as to the proportions used. This subject. matter is not in the Specification as accepted.