Patent ID: 8574426

Claim:
A process for removing a polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon compound from a vacuum gas oil comprising: (a) contacting the vacuum gas oil comprising the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon compound with a vacuum gas oil-immiscible phosphonium ionic liquid to produce a mixture comprising the vacuum gas oil and the vacuum gas oil-immiscible phosphonium ionic liquid; and (b) separating the mixture to produce a vacuum gas oil effluent and a vacuum gas oil-immiscible phosphonium ionic liquid effluent, the vacuum gas oil-immiscible phosphonium ionic liquid effluent comprising the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon compound; wherein the vacuum gas oil-immiscible phosphonium ionic liquid comprises at least one ionic liquid from at least one of tetraalkylphosphonium dialkylphosphates, tetraalkylphosphonium dialkyl phosphinates, tetraalkylphosphonium phosphates, tetraalkylphosphonium tosylates, tetraalkylphosphonium sulfates, tetraalkylphosphonium sulfonates, tetraalkylphosphonium carbonates, tetraalkylphosphonium metalates, oxometalates, tetraalkylphosphonium mixed metalates, tetraalkylphosphonium polyoxometalates, tetraalkylphosphonium halides, trihexyl(tetradecyl)phosphonium chloride, trihexyl(tetradecyl)phosphonium bromide, tributyl(methyl)phosphonium bromide, tributyl(methyl)phosphonium chloride, tributyl(hexyl)phosphonium bromide, tributyl(hexyl)phosphonium chloride, tributyl(octyl)phosphonium bromide, tributyl(octyl)phosphonium chloride, tributyl(decyl)phosphonium bromide, tributyl(decyl)phosphonium chloride, tetrabutylphosphonium bromide, tetrabutylphosphonium chloride, triisobutyl(methyl)phosphonium tosylate, tributyl(methyl)phosphonium methylsulfate, tributyl(ethyl)phosphonium diethylphosphate, and tetrabutylphosphonium methanesulfonate; wherein more than 40% of polycyclic aromatic content by weight with greater than or equal to two disjoint aromatic π-sextets is removed.