Suntech, Inc.

Edward G Scheibel

Abraham Daniel Schneider

Elmer J Hollstein

Edward J Janoski

Oxygen compounds are removed, e.g., by extraction, from a coal liquid prior to its hydrogenation. As a result, compared to hydrogenation of such a non-treated coal liquid, the rate of nitrogen removal is increased.

Process to upgrade coal liquids by extraction prior to

An improvement in the solvent extraction of nonhydrocarbons from a synfuel liquid, e.g., shale oil, involves that the extract from the extractor, rather than being recycled directly back to the extractor, is first hydrotreated. A further improvement involves that a portion of the hydrotreated extract is fractionated and a light fraction is returned to the extractor. Use of the hydrotreated extract as recycle increases the efficiency of the extractor. A still further improvement involves the use as a selective solvent of one of the following: dialkylformamide, aldehydomorpholine, keto-morpholine, morpholine or an aliphatic aromatic ketone. These preferred solvents have the advantage of providing a clear interface between the extract and raffinate in the extractor. Removal of the nonhydrocarbons permits production of more hydrocarbons having enhanced utility as a jet fuel from a synfuel liquid than otherwise would be possible.

Solvent extraction of synfuel liquids

A process for the separation and recovery of substantially pure ammonia from its admixture with gases, particularly with gases containing carbon dioxide and gases obtained from the catalytic ammoxidation of hydrocarbons to the corresponding nitriles, by scrubbing the ammonia containing gases with an aqueous solution containing a mixture of salts having different cations and the anions of one or more inorganic acids capable of absorbing and liberating ammonia; e.g., mixtures of different alkali metal salts of phosphoric, telluric, boric, vanadic, chromic, selenic, germanic, silicic and similar acids. Preferably the anion component will be at least one of phosphoric, chromic, or boric acids.

Separation of ammonia from ammonia containing gases

Oxygen compounds are removed, e.g., by solvent extraction, from a shale oil prior to its hydrogenation. As a result, the amount of hydrogen consumed during subsequent hydrogenation to achieve a given level of nitrogen for the shale oil is less than that which would occur if the oxygen compounds were not removed from the shale oil. Removal of the nitrogen is necessary to avoid adverse effects on subsequent shale oil processing steps such as catalytic cracking.

Process to upgrade shale oil

In the preparation of an alkylene glycol such as ethylene glycol by hydrolysis of the corresponding aliphatic acid ester, the improvement which comprises hydrolyzing the ester in a distillation column, taking to a condenser as overhead a vaporous mixture of water and aliphatic acid from the hydrolysis column, which immiscible stream is mixed with vapors of a water immiscible aliphatic ketone in the condenser, condensing the mixture and conducting the condensate to a settling tank where an upper ketone phase containing extracted aliphatic acid and a lower aqueous phase is formed, recycling the aqueous phase to the hydrolysis column, feeding the ketone phase to a distillation column where the ketone is distilled off and returned to the condenser, and separating essentially anhydrous aliphatic acid from the bottom of the distillation column.

Hydrolysis of ethylene glycol acetates

In a cascade refrigeration system where low pressure vapor from an evaporator stage is compressed and then recycled for condensation to the evaporator of a previous stage, the improvement of passing the low pressure vapor from an evaporator stage through a heat exchanger to heat said vapor to ambient temperature, compressing said heated vapor, removing the compressor work by passing said compressed vapor through a cooler, cooling said compressed vapor by passing it through said heat exchanger in heat exchange relationship with said low pressure vapor, condensing it in the evaporator of the next higher temperature cycle of the cascade system and recycling the liquid to the low pressure evaporator stage.

Cascade refrigeration system

A process to separate hydrocarbon gases into different fractions by condensing in the high pressure condenser of a staged dual pressure rectification system only that amount of vapor necessary for the reboiler duty of the low pressure column and expanding the excess vapor to provide the low temperature refrigeration duty. The process of the invention lends itself particularly to refinery gases, particularly to an absorber tail gas which comprises a mixture of low molecular weight hydrocarbon gases (e.g. methane, ethane, ethylene, propane, etc.). This disclosure also describes a process for the low pressure fractional distillation of gaseous mixtures with relative volatilities of less than 2 by compressing part of the overhead gas product, removing the heat of compression with cooling water, cooling it by heat exchange with the overhead vapor stream from the low pressure column, condensing it in the high pressure condenser to supply additional reboiler duty to the low pressure column and adding the liquid to the reflux stream to the low pressure column.

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Media, PA, United States of America

Edward G Scheibel