Classifications

• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B01—PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL
  • B01D—SEPARATION
  • B01D53/00—Separation of gases or vapours; Recovering vapours of volatile solvents from gases; Chemical or biological purification of waste gases, e.g. engine exhaust gases, smoke, fumes, flue gases, aerosols
  • B01D53/34—Chemical or biological purification of waste gases
  • B01D53/46—Removing components of defined structure
  • B01D53/64—Heavy metals or compounds thereof, e.g. mercury
• • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
  • C10—PETROLEUM, GAS OR COKE INDUSTRIES; TECHNICAL GASES CONTAINING CARBON MONOXIDE; FUELS; LUBRICANTS; PEAT
  • C10G—CRACKING HYDROCARBON OILS; PRODUCTION OF LIQUID HYDROCARBON MIXTURES, e.g. BY DESTRUCTIVE HYDROGENATION, OLIGOMERISATION, POLYMERISATION; RECOVERY OF HYDROCARBON OILS FROM OIL-SHALE, OIL-SAND, OR GASES; REFINING MIXTURES MAINLY CONSISTING OF HYDROCARBONS; REFORMING OF NAPHTHA; MINERAL WAXES
  • C10G31/00—Refining of hydrocarbon oils, in the absence of hydrogen, by methods not otherwise provided for
  • C10G31/09—Refining of hydrocarbon oils, in the absence of hydrogen, by methods not otherwise provided for by filtration
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B01—PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL
  • B01D—SEPARATION
  • B01D53/00—Separation of gases or vapours; Recovering vapours of volatile solvents from gases; Chemical or biological purification of waste gases, e.g. engine exhaust gases, smoke, fumes, flue gases, aerosols
  • B01D53/14—Separation of gases or vapours; Recovering vapours of volatile solvents from gases; Chemical or biological purification of waste gases, e.g. engine exhaust gases, smoke, fumes, flue gases, aerosols by absorption
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B01—PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL
  • B01D—SEPARATION
  • B01D53/00—Separation of gases or vapours; Recovering vapours of volatile solvents from gases; Chemical or biological purification of waste gases, e.g. engine exhaust gases, smoke, fumes, flue gases, aerosols
  • B01D53/14—Separation of gases or vapours; Recovering vapours of volatile solvents from gases; Chemical or biological purification of waste gases, e.g. engine exhaust gases, smoke, fumes, flue gases, aerosols by absorption
  • B01D53/1418—Recovery of products
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B01—PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL
  • B01D—SEPARATION
  • B01D53/00—Separation of gases or vapours; Recovering vapours of volatile solvents from gases; Chemical or biological purification of waste gases, e.g. engine exhaust gases, smoke, fumes, flue gases, aerosols
  • B01D53/22—Separation of gases or vapours; Recovering vapours of volatile solvents from gases; Chemical or biological purification of waste gases, e.g. engine exhaust gases, smoke, fumes, flue gases, aerosols by diffusion
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B01—PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL
  • B01D—SEPARATION
  • B01D53/00—Separation of gases or vapours; Recovering vapours of volatile solvents from gases; Chemical or biological purification of waste gases, e.g. engine exhaust gases, smoke, fumes, flue gases, aerosols
  • B01D53/22—Separation of gases or vapours; Recovering vapours of volatile solvents from gases; Chemical or biological purification of waste gases, e.g. engine exhaust gases, smoke, fumes, flue gases, aerosols by diffusion
  • B01D53/228—Separation of gases or vapours; Recovering vapours of volatile solvents from gases; Chemical or biological purification of waste gases, e.g. engine exhaust gases, smoke, fumes, flue gases, aerosols by diffusion characterised by specific membranes
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B01—PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL
  • B01D—SEPARATION
  • B01D53/00—Separation of gases or vapours; Recovering vapours of volatile solvents from gases; Chemical or biological purification of waste gases, e.g. engine exhaust gases, smoke, fumes, flue gases, aerosols
  • B01D53/22—Separation of gases or vapours; Recovering vapours of volatile solvents from gases; Chemical or biological purification of waste gases, e.g. engine exhaust gases, smoke, fumes, flue gases, aerosols by diffusion
  • B01D53/229—Integrated processes (Diffusion and at least one other process, e.g. adsorption, absorption)
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B01—PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL
  • B01D—SEPARATION
  • B01D53/00—Separation of gases or vapours; Recovering vapours of volatile solvents from gases; Chemical or biological purification of waste gases, e.g. engine exhaust gases, smoke, fumes, flue gases, aerosols
  • B01D53/26—Drying gases or vapours
  • B01D53/266—Drying gases or vapours by filtration
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B01—PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL
  • B01D—SEPARATION
  • B01D61/00—Processes of separation using semi-permeable membranes, e.g. dialysis, osmosis or ultrafiltration; Apparatus, accessories or auxiliary operations specially adapted therefor
  • B01D61/58—Multistep processes
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B01—PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL
  • B01D—SEPARATION
  • B01D11/00—Solvent extraction
  • B01D11/04—Solvent extraction of solutions which are liquid
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B01—PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL
  • B01D—SEPARATION
  • B01D2257/00—Components to be removed
  • B01D2257/60—Heavy metals or heavy metal compounds
  • B01D2257/602—Mercury or mercury compounds

Definitions

• This invention relates to an apparatus and method for removing mercury or mercury containing compounds from fluids, e.g., liquids, gases and gaseous condensates. More particularly, it relates to the use of porous membranes and scrubbing solutions which, when used in tandem, remove mercury from the aforementioned fluids.
• Mercury is a contaminant of many natural products, including hydrocarbon fuels. It exists in many forms such as elemental mercury. Organic and inorganic compounds also contain it. In the case of the hydrocarbon fuels mentioned herein, mercury is believed to have originated from geologic deposits from which the fuels, such as natural gas, have been obtained.
• the invention involves a process and apparatus for removal of mercury from a liquid or gaseous stream, such as a feedstream or process stream (the "first stream” hereafter) by passing the substance on one side of a porous membrane, while passing a second stream, e.g., a "scrubbing stream", which is capable of removing the mercury from the sample, first stream, feedstream, or process stream, on the other side of the membrane.
• a second stream e.g., a "scrubbing stream” which is capable of removing the mercury from the sample, first stream, feedstream, or process stream, on the other side of the membrane.
• the scrubbing may occur via sombilizing the mercury into the second stream, reacting it with a reactive component in the "scrubbing," or "second” stream, or both.
• the scrubbing solution also referred to as "absorbent liquid,” can be any solution capable of solubilizing or reacting with mercury, or performing both tasks.
• exemplary of materials which can be included in the solution are alkali metal sulfides, ammonium bisulfide salts, disulfide salts, polysulfide salts (salts which contain S x , where x > 2), hydrogen peroxide, perchlorate, and other materials known to the skilled artisan.
• the scrubbing solution may be treated, e.g., to remove solid precipitate, and/or to have relevant chemicals added to replenish the solution, and then be recirculated.
• relevant chemicals added to replenish the solution, and then be recirculated.
• a completely new solution may be used as well.
• the invention as described herein provides non-dispersive contact between the two streams, which is a distinct advantage over the conventional, dispersed phase systems now employed, including liquid/liquid extraction, and gas/liquid scrubbing and absorption.
• the invention allows for very high packing densities of the membranes, and as a result the units employed are much smaller than the units now seen in industrial practice.
• the membranes are functional in both horizontal and vertical placement, as compared to vertical only, which is an advantage in terms of deployment in standard systems.
• Figure 1 depicts one embodiment of the invention.
• Figure 2 shows a second embodiment of the invention.
• FIG. 1 of this disclosure shows one embodiment of the invention.
• a condensate reservoir "100" contains the mercury rich material which requires treatment.
• This can be, e.g., natural gas, a condensate of natural gas, a liquid hydrocarbon, or any other material containing mercury.
• the material is transmitted via, e.g., a pipe means "101" or any other type of conduit, to a porous membrane in the form, e.g., of a membrane contractor module "102,” elaborated upon infra, and back to reservoir "100" through conduit "105" .
• This porous membrane or membranes in membrane contractor module 102 may take the form of a flat sheet, hollow fibers, a disc, a spiral wound, or other configurations well known to the skilled artisan.
• the materials used to make the membranes may vary. Exemplary materials are polypropylene, PolyEther Ether Ketone (PEEK), Tefflon (PTFE), PolyVinyliDene Fluoride (PVDF), as well as any other polymeric hollow fiber material which is compatible with the first and second stream.
• the material passes over the porous membrane contact zone module 102 and contacts a scrubbing solution within the pores of the membrane.
• the scrubbing solution is circulated from a scrubbing solution reservoir "103" through conduit "104" and the porous membrane contactor "102", then through conduit "106" back to reservoir "103".
• the fluids may flow in counter directions, as in this example, or in co- directions.
• FIG. 2 A second embodiment of the invention is depicted in Figure 2.
• a mercury rich stream "108” is brought into contact with scrubbing solution "109", via membrane contractor zone 111, resulting in a "mercury lean” stream "110", following the flow of both streams past the membrane contact zone "111".
• the resulting mercury rich scrubbing solution stream "112" is circulated back to the "scrubbing solution treatment zone "113".
• the "scrubbing solution treatment zone" 113 may contain additional materials and equipment such as one or more storage tanks for fresh scrubbmg solution, scrubbing solution which has been used, and treated to remove the mercury, or used scrubbing solution which is to be either treated, or disposed of. Storage tanks may also be provided for each of these.
• the zone may also include, e.g., means for treating solutions such as mercury containing scrubbmg streams so as to filter solids, be these mercury compounds or other solids, sedimentation or segregation units, as well as means for replenishing and/or adjusting the scrubbing solution.
• a hollow fiber membrane module type was built by bundling seven hollow, porous polypropylene fibers and cementing them, with epoxy, into polyethylene tubes and PVC-Y fittings, to form a shell, and inlet/exit ports.
• Relevant properties of the fibers included an OD of ⁇ 2500 ⁇ m, and pore sizes from 2 to 20 ⁇ .
• the spiked condensate was then circulated from a condensate reservoir and then back to it, through the lumen side of the hollow fibers.
• a polysulfide solution composed of 15.6 wt% of NaOH, 6.3 wt% Sg, and 78.1 wt% H 2 O was circulated from its own reservoir, through the hollow fiber module outside the bores, that is, on the shell side.

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• Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Oil, Petroleum & Natural Gas (AREA)
• Chemical Kinetics & Catalysis (AREA)
• General Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
• Analytical Chemistry (AREA)
• Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
• Biomedical Technology (AREA)
• Environmental & Geological Engineering (AREA)
• Organic Chemistry (AREA)
• Water Supply & Treatment (AREA)
• Separation Using Semi-Permeable Membranes (AREA)

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Citations (12)

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• 2013
  • 2013-03-15 EP EP13715805.1A patent/EP2827970B1/en not_active Not-in-force
  • 2013-03-15 SG SG11201405122QA patent/SG11201405122QA/en unknown
  • 2013-03-15 US US13/834,582 patent/US8641890B2/en active Active
  • 2013-03-15 JP JP2015501805A patent/JP6163536B2/ja not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 2013-03-15 KR KR1020147028821A patent/KR20140137434A/ko not_active Ceased
  • 2013-03-15 WO PCT/US2013/032072 patent/WO2013142325A1/en not_active Ceased
  • 2013-03-15 KR KR1020177027819A patent/KR101898409B1/ko not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 2013-03-15 CN CN201380011623.2A patent/CN104220144B/zh not_active Expired - Fee Related

Patent Citations (13)

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