Patent ID: 7632396

Claim:
A method for reducing both the level of elemental sulfur and total sulfur of a hydrocarbon stream containing same, which method comprises: (a) adding to said stream, water, a caustic, and at least one metal sulfide, thereby resulting in a mixture of hydrocarbon phase and aqueous phase, wherein said mixture is used in an effective amount and under effective conditions so that at least a portion of the elemental sulfur reacts with said at least one metal sulfide to form the corresponding metal polysulfide that is soluble in the aqueous phase; (b) passing said mixture through a bed of solid particles having a sufficient surface area so that a substantial amount of metal polysulfide is transferred from the hydrocarbon phase to the aqueous phase; and (c) separating said aqueous phase containing said metal polysulfide component, from the hydrocarbon phase that is substantially reduced in both elemental sulfur and total sulfur.