US3748827A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Process for optimum absorption of elemental sulfur from natural gas by the use of mineral oil and similar liquid hydrocarbons
Assignee: Wintershall AG
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Filing: 1970-11-25
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Granted: 1973-07-31
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Expires: 1990-11-25
Abstract
Abstract Natural gas containing elemental sulfur dissolved therein is freed of the sulfur by introducing an ascending annular current of a mineral oil into an ascending flow of natural gas. The mineral oil has a viscosity of 2-200 cP and a vapor pressure of up to 3 X 10 1 mm Hg at 20*C. The sulfur is transferred from the natural gas into the mineral oil. To insure substantially complete transference, the ratio of mineral oil in liter/hr to natural gas in Nm3/hr should be maintained at 1: about 4-20.
Inventors
- 👤 W Bulian
- 👤 A Dittmar
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-27 21:11
CPC Classifications
E; E21; E21B; E21B43/00; E21B43/34; E21B43/40; C; C01; C01B; C01B17/00; C01B17/02; C01B17/021; C07; C07C; C07C7/00; C07C7/11; C10; C10K; C10K1/00; C10K1/08; C10K1/16; C10K1/18
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 12
Claim 1
Independent Claim
22 words
A process as claimed in claim 1 wherein the natural gas ascends from the well bottom at the rate of 5,000-15,000 Nm3/hr.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
14 words
A process as claimed in claim 1 wherein the viscosity is 10-60cP at 20*C.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
21 words
A process as claimed in claim 1 wherein the amount of mineral oil or liquid hydrocarbon is 500 to 1,000 liters/hr.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
32 words
A process as claimed in claim 1 wherein the mineral oil is diesel oil, spindle oil or light machine oil and the liquid hydrocarbon is benzene, toluene, xylene, or coal tar oil.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
21 words
A process as claimed in claim 1 wherein the natural gas contains as much as 5gm of elemental sulfur per Nm3.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
126 words
A process as claimed in claim 1 wherein the natural gas ascends from the well bottom at the rate of about 10,000 Nm3/hr at a mean gas flow pressure of about 150-500 atm and the ratio of mineral oil to natural gas is about 1 to 20 when the natural gas contains up to about 0.1gm of elemental sulfur per Nm3; the ratio is about 1 to 12 when the natural gas contains about 0.1 to 1.0gm of elemental sulfur per Nm3; the ratio is about 1 to 8 when the natural gaS contains about 1 to 2 gm of elemental sulfur per Nm3 and the ratio is about 1 to 4 when the natural gas contains about 2 to 5gm of elemental sulfur per Nm3.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
68 words
A process as claimed in claim 1 which further comprises desulfurizing the mineral oil or liquid hydrocarbon by a liquid-liquid extraction with a 1 to 10 percent aqueous alkali-hydrogen sulfide solution in the presence of 100-2,000 ppm of a surface active agent for accelerating the transfer of the sulfur from the mineral oil or liquid-hydrocarbon to the aqueous phase and recycling the desulfurized mineral oil or liquid hydrocarbon.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
31 words
A process as claimed in claim 8 wherein the aqueous alkali hydrogen sulfide solution has concentration of 2 to 5 percent and 500-1,200 ppm of the surface active agent are used.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
49 words
A process as claimed in claim 9 wherein the alkali hydrogen sulfide is NH4HS and/or NaHS and the surface active agent is an ionic or nonionic hydroxylakylate based on a glycol and an alkyleneoxide or a sulfo acid from an ester of an oxygenic and nitrogenous organic base molecule.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
69 words
A process as claimed in claim 7 which further comprises desulfurizing the mineral oil or liquid hydrocarbon by a liquid-liquid extraction with a 1 to 10 percent aqueous alkali-hydrogen sulfide solution in the presence of 100-2,000 ppm of a surface active agent for accelerating the transition of the sulfur from the mineral oil or liquid hydrocarbon to the aqueous phase and recycling the desulfurized mineral oil or liquid hydrocarbon.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
32 words
A process as claimed in claim 11 wherein the aqueous alkali hydrogen sulfide solution has a concentration of 2 to 5 percent and 500-1,200 ppm of the surface active agent are used.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
49 words
A process as claimed in claim 12 wherein the alkali hydrogen sulfide is NH4HS and/or NaHS and the surface active agent is an ionic or nonionic hydroxyalkylate based on a glycol and an alkyleneoxide or a sulfo acid from an ester of an oxygenic and nitrogenous organic base molecule.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US3097917A
Cited
US3474028A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1976-07-30 | 1977-01-29 | 1977-07-31 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1980-07-30 | 1981-01-29 | 1981-07-31 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1984-07-30 | 1985-01-29 | 1985-07-31 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |