Patent ID: 7276152

Claim:
A process for removing sulfur-containing compounds and nitrogen-containing compounds from a liquid hydrocarbon feedstock, that comprises the steps of: (a) contacting the liquid hydrocarbon feedstock in an oxidation reactor with a non-aqueous oxidant that comprises peracetic acid in acetone to selectively oxidize the sulfur-containing compounds into sulfones and the nitrogen-containing compounds into nitrogen oxides whereby an acetic acid by-product is produced when the sulfur-containing compounds and the nitrogen-containing compounds are oxidized wherein the water content in each of the non-aqueous oxidant and the liquid hydrocarbon feedstock is less than 0.1 wt % which prevents solid precipitations in the oxidation reactor and which prevents phase separation caused by the presence of excessive water; and (b) removing the sulfones and nitrogen oxides by extraction with the acetic acid by-product that is produced in step (a).