Guard bed system for removing contaminant from synthetic oil

Claim 1

A METHOD OF REMOVING A CONTAMINANT COMPRISING ONE OF ARSENIC AND SELENIUM FROM A SYNTHETIC HYDROCARBONACEOUS FLUID OBTAIN FROM NORMALLY SOLID COAL, OIL SHALE OR TAR SAND, COMPRISING THE STEPS OF: A. PREPARING A GUARD BED CONSISTING ESSENTIALLY OF A PLURALITY OF PARTICLE OF A MATERIAL SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF IRON, COBALT, NICKEL, AT LEAST ONE OXIDE OF SAID METALS, AT LEAST ONE SULFIDE OF SAID METALS ANND A COMBINATION THEREOF, SAID PARTICLES BEING OF A SIZE SUFFICIENTLY LARGER TOO ALLOW ATTRITION OF A PLURALITY OF SURFACE LAYERS UP TO AT LEAST 60 MICRONS IN THICKNESS FOR EXPOSING NEW, MORE ACTIVE MATERIAL, B. ADMIXING SAID HYDROCARBONACEOUS FLUID WITH HYDROGEN TO FORM AN ADMIXTURE OF FLUID STREAMS, C. REMOVING SAID CONTAMINANT FROM SAID SYNTHETIC HYDROCARBONACEOUS FLUID BY FLOWING SAID ADMIXTURE PAST SAID PARTICLES IN SAID GUARD BED AT A TEMPERATURE AND PRESSURE AND WITH A RESIDENCE TIME SUFFICIENT TO EFFECT REMOVAL OF SAID CONTAMINANT FROM SAID SYNTHETIC HYDROCARBONACEOUS FLUID AND DEPOSITING SAID CONTAMINANT ON THE SURFACES OF SAID PARTICLES OF MATERIAL, SAID PRESSURE BEING AT LEAST 500 POUNDS PER SQUARE INCH GAUGE (PSIG), AND SAID TEMPERATURE BEING AT LEAST 300*F., D. SUBSTANTIALLY SATURATING THE SURFACE OF SAID PARTICLES WITH SAID CONTAMINANT TO CAUSE FLAKING OF SMALL FINES WHICH ARE SUBSTANTIALLY SATURATED WITH CONTAMINANT FROM THE SURFACE OF SAID PARTICLES TO EXPOSE NEW AND MORE ACTIVE SURFACE FOR REMOVING SAID CONTAMINANT, E. ENTRAINING SAID SUBSTANTIALLY SATURATED SMALL FINES IN SAID ADMIXTURE OF FLUID STREAMS AND FLOWING BOTH FROM SAID GUARD BED, AND F. SEPARATING SAID SUBSTANTIALLY SATURATED SMALL FINES CONTAINING SAID CONTAMINANT FROM SAID ADMIXTURE OF SAID FLUID STREAMS AND SAID FINES TO LEAVE SAID HYDROCARBONACEOUS FLUID SUBSTANTIALLY FREE OF SAID CONTAMINANT.

Claim 2

A METHOD OF REMOVING A CONTAMINANT COMPRISING ONE OF ARSENIC AND SELENIUM FROM A SYNTHETIC HYDROCARBONACEOUS FLUID OBTAIN FROM NORMALLY SOLID COAL, OIL SHALE OR TAR SAND, COMPRISING THE STEPS OF: A. PREPARING A GUARD BED CONSISTING ESSENTIALLY OF A PLURALITY OF PARTICLE OF A MATERIAL SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF IRON, COBALT, NICKEL, AT LEAST ONE OXIDE OF SAID METALS, AT LEAST ONE SULFIDE OF SAID METALS ANND A COMBINATION THEREOF, SAID PARTICLES BEING OF A SIZE SUFFICIENTLY LARGER TOO ALLOW ATTRITION OF A PLURALITY OF SURFACE LAYERS UP TO AT LEAST 60 MICRONS IN THICKNESS FOR EXPOSING NEW, MORE ACTIVE MATERIAL, B. ADMIXING SAID HYDROCARBONACEOUS FLUID WITH HYDROGEN TO FORM AN ADMIXTURE OF FLUID STREAMS, C. REMOVING SAID CONTAMINANT FROM SAID SYNTHETIC HYDROCARBONACEOUS FLUID BY FLOWING SAID ADMIXTURE PAST SAID PARTICLES IN SAID GUARD BED AT A TEMPERATURE AND PRESSURE AND WITH A RESIDENCE TIME SUFFICIENT TO EFFECT REMOVAL OF SAID CONTAMINANT FROM SAID SYNTHETIC HYDROCARBONACEOUS FLUID AND DEPOSITING SAID CONTAMINANT ON THE SURFACES OF SAID PARTICLES OF MATERIAL, SAID PRESSURE BEING AT LEAST 500 POUNDS PER SQUARE INCH GAUGE (PSIG), AND SAID TEMPERATURE BEING AT LEAST 300*F., D. SUBSTANTIALLY SATURATING THE SURFACE OF SAID PARTICLES WITH SAID CONTAMINANT TO CAUSE FLAKING OF SMALL FINES WHICH ARE SUBSTANTIALLY SATURATED WITH CONTAMINANT FROM THE SURFACE OF SAID PARTICLES TO EXPOSE NEW AND MORE ACTIVE SURFACE FOR REMOVING SAID CONTAMINANT, E. ENTRAINING SAID SUBSTANTIALLY SATURATED SMALL FINES IN SAID ADMIXTURE OF FLUID STREAMS AND FLOWING BOTH FROM SAID GUARD BED, AND F. SEPARATING SAID SUBSTANTIALLY SATURATED SMALL FINES CONTAINING SAID CONTAMINANT FROM SAID ADMIXTURE OF SAID FLUID STREAMS AND SAID FINES TO LEAVE SAID HYDROCARBONACEOUS FLUID SUBSTANTIALLY FREE OF SAID CONTAMINANT.