US1761152A - Method for deodorizing petroleum - Google Patents

Description

June 1930. A. E. PEW, JR

METHOD FOR DEODORIZING PETROLEUM Filed Atig. 27, 1926 TWI IWESS.

Patented June 3, 1930 UNITED STATES,

PATENT OFFICE.

'AR'I'HUR E. HEW, JR. BRYN MAWR, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO SUN OIL COM- PANY, 0E PHILADELPHIA, PENN SYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY METHOD FOR DEODORIZIN G PETROLEUM Application filed August 27, 1926. Serial No. 131,911.

My invention relates to an improved method for deodorizing petroleum products, more particularly lubricating oils. I

Heretofore it has been recognized that petroleum products, and especially the heavier products as lubricating oils, obtained. by distillation, have a disagreeable odor which renders them relatively unmarketable without treatment after distillation. The odor of such products is caused by the fact that there is absorbed therein, in gaseous form, odoriferous constituents, which are probably certain fixed gases and aromatic compounds which cannot be eifectively eliminated by distillation.

As a result of the presence in lubricating oils of odoriferous constituents which render them unpleasant and relatively unmarketable, it has heretofore been necessary to re run such oils and to subject them to acid washes, after they are originally produced from stock, in order to sufliciently free them from the odoriferousconstituents to make them marketable. v

Re-running and acid treatment adds greatly to the expense of production of lubricating oils and has not been found entirely effective for the production of high grade 0118. Now in accordance with my invention, I provide a method for deodorizing petroleum products which I have found to be hlghly efficient, and which adds practically nothing to the cost of production. A

The process in accordance with my invention consists essentially in subjecting the oil, obtained by distillation and condensation, to an external pressure less than its internal pressure by which the gaseous odoriferous constituents are held in absorption in the e11. More particularly, in accordance with my 1nvention, the oil in a heated condition, for example, as drawn directly from a condens ng apparatus, or especially heated, 1s flowed 1n a thin film at a velocity, or over a type of surface,'to cause turbulence in, or agitation of,

t ed to an external the film and at'the same time subjected to an external pressurelower than its internal pressure, to the end that the gaseous odoriferous constituents held in the oil by absorption will be released'and removed.

embodying my invention, the temperature of the oil, the thinness of the film, rate of flow,

external pressure, and length of time during which the oil must be subjected to the reduced external pressure, will depend one upon the other and upon the viscosity of the oil treated, and will be readily determinable by those skilled in the art. The reason for subjectingv I the oil to the degasifying treatment described While the oil is not'much below the "highly approximate temperature can be specified for, oils of different boiling points. If cold oilwere, sufliciently non-viscous, no heating would be required. But even light oils must be substantially heated to sufliciently reduce their viscosity to enable the process to be operative to release contained gases. However, as an example, I have found that the odor may be successfully eliminated from oils having as high as 200 viscosity Saybolt at 212 E, if the oil be heated to say 500 F., flowed in a thinturbulent stream and subjectpressure of say 7 mm. mercury absolute.

Apparatus which lends itself especially to carrying out the process above described, which, however, it will be understood is not dependent upon the use of any particular ap- I 50' In the practical adaptation of the process paratus, is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic view of the apparatus.

Fig. 2 is the sectional view of a deodorizing chamber of the apparatus.

Fig. 3 is a partial sectional view of the subj ect of Fig. 2 taken at right angles to that of Fig. 2. 7

- In the drawings, (1 indicates an upright chamber, preferably rectangular in cross section, and provided internally with a series of staggered inclined flow plates 6.

The chamber a is provided at its top with an inlet pipe 0, provided with a valve is, which leads from a container (1, and at its bottom with an outlet pipe 6, connected to a receiver or tank The container d may be a condensing apparatus, if the deodorizer is installedas an element of an apparatus for continuous ly producing lubricating oils, or it may be a heater, or merely a tank for containing a supply ofoil to be treated.

Let into one side of the chamber a are a plurality of outlet pipes g, positioned respectively between adjacent plates 6. The outlet pipes g are connected to a header h, which at one end is connected to a vacuum pump 5. A valve y'is placed between the vacuum pump and the header. The discharge of the vacuum pump may be connected to any suitable form of receiver.

In carrying out my process in the apparatus described, assumin that a lubricatlng oil of about 200 viscosity aybolt at 212 F. is to be treated, the oil is led from the supply d, in which itis contained at a temperature of about 500 F., into the chamber a through the inlet pipec. On entering the chamber, the oil falls on the topmost flow plate 6 near its upper end, the oil spreads out in a thin film on the plate, and flows toward its lower end, from which it drops'to' the next plate, and so on from side to side of the chamber until it reaches the-bottom where it flows out of the chamber to tank 7.

The flow through the inlet pipe 0 is regulated by adjustment of valve 7: so that the oil will spread out on plates 6 in athin film, and the slant of the plates bis such that the films vof oil will travel over the plates at a velocity sutficient to create a substantial turbulence, or agitation, in the films.

While the relatively hot oil is passing through the chamber, vacuum pump 71, connected to the interior of the chamber, through pipes g, is operated so as to maintain a lower pressure on the interior of the'chamber than exists internally of the oil. For example, the

pressure should be about 7 mm. of mercuryv absolute and may be regulated by means of valve It will now be observed that the thin films of heated oil passing over the plates I), at relareceiver through pipes g. The oil on reaching the bottom of the receiver will be found to be sweet and ready for market without further treatment.

It will benoted that, while the interior of the receiver a, as a whole, is maintained under the desired reduced pressure, the odoriferous gases removed'from'thefilms of oil flowing Over the several plates 6 are directly removed from receivers, thus preventing such gases from being reabsorbed in the oil.

This application is in part a continuation of the application for Letters Patent of the United States filed by me May 29, 1926, Serial No. 112,485.

Having now fully described my invention, what I claim and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. The method of removing from lubricating oil distillates odoriferous gases which are not removable in the distillation process, which comprises flowing said distillate in a thin film over a surface of substantial area while subjecting thefilm to a low sub-atmospheric absolute external pressure, and regulating the temperature of the oil and said pressure to effect release of contained gases without efiecting substantial vaporization of the liquid oil.

2. The method of removing, from a refined oil product, odoriferous 1 gases which co-mprises distributing preheated oil in a thin film over a surface of substantial area and simultaneously, and without the application of substantial heat, subjecting it to a vacuum sulficiently high to remove such gases without effecting substantial vaporization of the liquid oil.

3. The method of removing from lubricating oil distillates odoriferous gases which are not removable in the distillation process, which comprises flowing said distillate, while sufliciently highly'heated to substantially reduce its viscosity, but without substantial application ofexternal heat, and without substantial distillation, in a thin film overa surface of substantial area while subjecting the film externally to a hi h vacuum corresponding to an external a solute pressure sufficiently low to effect the release of the contained gases and continuously removing the released gases.

4. The method of removing from lubricating oil distillates odoriferous gases which are not removable in the distillation process, which comprises flowing said distillate, while sufficiently highly heated to substantially reduce its viscosity, in a thin'film over a series of surfaces of substantial area and at a velocity sufficient to produce substantial turbulence in the oil while subjecting the oil, with out substantial application of external heat, to a highvaeuum corresponding to an external absolute pressure sufficiently low to efieet the release of the'contained gases, and continuously withdrawing and directly removing gases from aseries of loci along the path of flow of the oil, thereby without substantial evaporation of the liquid constituents of the oil, rendering the oil substantially free of objectionable odor.

In testimony of which invention, I have hereunto set my hand, at Philadelfihia, Penna, on this 26th day of August, 1926.

A ARTHUR E. PEW, JR.

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