Liquid phase sulfur removal from hydrocarbons with zeolite

Claim 1

A METHOD FOR REMOVING SULFUR-CONTAINING COMPOUND FROM A LIQUID HYDROCARBON FEED STREAM COMPRISING THE STEPS OF PROVIDING A BED OF CRYSTALLINE ZEOLITIC MOLECULAR SIEVE MATERIAL HAVING AN APPARENT PORE SIZE OF AT LEAST 3.8 ANGSTROM UNITS AND SUFFICIENTLY LARGE TO RECEIVE SAID SULFUR-CONTAINING COMPOUND; PROVIDING A SULFUR COMPOUND CONTAINING LIQUID HYDROCARBON FEED STREAM SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF PROPANE AND BUTANE AND AS AN ADSORPTION STEP PASSING SUCH LIQUID STREAM DOWNWARDLY THROUGH THE ZEOLITIC MOLECULAR SIEVE BED FROM THE UPPER TO THE LOWER END THEREOF AT A RATE SUCH AS TO MAINTAIN THE BED COMPLETELY FILLED WITH THE LIQUID FEED STREAM AND AT A SUPERFICIAL LINEAR VELOCITY OF 1-10 FEET PER MINUTE, THEREBY REMOVING THE SULFUR COMPOUND FROM SUCH FEED STREAM; WITHDRAWING A SULFUR-COMPOUND DEPLETED LIQUID HYDROCARBON STREAM FROM THE LOWER END OF SAID BED; TERMINATING THE LIQUID FEED FLOW TO SAID BED AND DRAINING THE LIQUID FEED HELD IN THE BED INTERSTICES AT THE END OF THE ADSORPTION STEP, THEREAFTER AS A DESORPTION STEP, PROVIDING A HEATED, SUBSTANTIALLY NONADSOBABLE PURGE GAS BEING NONREACTIVE WITH RESPECT TO SULFUR, AND PASSING SUCH PURGE GAS DOWNWARDLY THROUGH THE SULFUR COMPOUNDCONTAINING ZEOLITIC MOLECULAR SIEVE BED FROM THE UPPER END THEREOF THEREBY REMOVING SAID SULFUR COMPOUND, AND DISCHARGING THE SULFUR COMPOUND CONTAINING PURGE GAS FROM LOWER END OF SUCH BED; AS A COOLDOWN STEP INTRODUCING ADDITIONAL SULFUR COMPOUND-CONTAINING LIQUID HYDROCARBON FEED AT THE UPER END OF THE DESORBED ZEOLITIC MOLECULAR SIEVE BED FOR DOWNWARD FLOW THERETHROUGH AND AT A LOWER RATE THAN SAID ADSORPTION STEP SO AS TO RECOOL SUCH BED TO THE BED TEMPERATURE DURING THE ADSORPTION STEP AND REFILL THE BED WITH LIQUID PRIOR TO SAID ADSORPTION STEP; AND THEREAFTER CONSECUTIVELY REPEATING SAID ADSORPTION, DESORPTION AND COOLDOWN STEPS.

Claim 2

A METHOD FOR REMOVING SULFUR-CONTAINING COMPOUND FROM A LIQUID HYDROCARBON FEED STREAM COMPRISING THE STEPS OF PROVIDING A BED OF CRYSTALLINE ZEOLITIC MOLECULAR SIEVE MATERIAL HAVING AN APPARENT PORE SIZE OF AT LEAST 3.8 ANGSTROM UNITS AND SUFFICIENTLY LARGE TO RECEIVE SAID SULFUR-CONTAINING COMPOUND; PROVIDING A SULFUR COMPOUND CONTAINING LIQUID HYDROCARBON FEED STREAM SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF PROPANE AND BUTANE AND AS AN ADSORPTION STEP PASSING SUCH LIQUID STREAM DOWNWARDLY THROUGH THE ZEOLITIC MOLECULAR SIEVE BED FROM THE UPPER TO THE LOWER END THEREOF AT A RATE SUCH AS TO MAINTAIN THE BED COMPLETELY FILLED WITH THE LIQUID FEED STREAM AND AT A SUPERFICIAL LINEAR VELOCITY OF 1-10 FEET PER MINUTE, THEREBY REMOVING THE SULFUR COMPOUND FROM SUCH FEED STREAM; WITHDRAWING A SULFUR-COMPOUND DEPLETED LIQUID HYDROCARBON STREAM FROM THE LOWER END OF SAID BED; TERMINATING THE LIQUID FEED FLOW TO SAID BED AND DRAINING THE LIQUID FEED HELD IN THE BED INTERSTICES AT THE END OF THE ADSORPTION STEP, THEREAFTER AS A DESORPTION STEP, PROVIDING A HEATED, SUBSTANTIALLY NONADSOBABLE PURGE GAS BEING NONREACTIVE WITH RESPECT TO SULFUR, AND PASSING SUCH PURGE GAS DOWNWARDLY THROUGH THE SULFUR COMPOUNDCONTAINING ZEOLITIC MOLECULAR SIEVE BED FROM THE UPPER END THEREOF THEREBY REMOVING SAID SULFUR COMPOUND, AND DISCHARGING THE SULFUR COMPOUND CONTAINING PURGE GAS FROM LOWER END OF SUCH BED; AS A COOLDOWN STEP INTRODUCING ADDITIONAL SULFUR COMPOUND-CONTAINING LIQUID HYDROCARBON FEED AT THE UPER END OF THE DESORBED ZEOLITIC MOLECULAR SIEVE BED FOR DOWNWARD FLOW THERETHROUGH AND AT A LOWER RATE THAN SAID ADSORPTION STEP SO AS TO RECOOL SUCH BED TO THE BED TEMPERATURE DURING THE ADSORPTION STEP AND REFILL THE BED WITH LIQUID PRIOR TO SAID ADSORPTION STEP; AND THEREAFTER CONSECUTIVELY REPEATING SAID ADSORPTION, DESORPTION AND COOLDOWN STEPS.