Japan Petroleum Exploration Co., Ltd.

Jgc Corporation

Senichiro Kaku

Yoshiyuki Yamaguchi

Hiromitsu Shibuya

Kazuo Sato

Kazutoshi Chaki

A mercury removal apparatus for a liquid hydrocarbon includes a conversion device which converts a mercury component in a raw liquid hydrocarbon into elemental mercury to obtain a first liquid hydrocarbon containing the elemental mercury. The apparatus also includes a first stripping device which brings the first liquid hydrocarbon into counter-current contact with a first stripping gas, thereby transferring the elemental mercury in the first liquid hydrocarbon to the first stripping gas to obtain (i) a second liquid hydrocarbon in which the amount of the elemental mercury decreases and (ii) a first gaseous hydrocarbon containing the elemental mercury.

Mercury removal apparatus for liquid hydrocarbon

A top temperature Tof a distillation toweris held below a liquefying temperature of a light fraction by returning a part of an exhaust gas W, which is cooled by a condenser, to the upper zone of the distillation tower. A bottom temperature Tis raised up to 300&#xb0; C. at highest by returning a part of a liquid product P from a re-boiler 3 to a lower zone of the distillation tower. When a liquid hydrocarbon L comes in countercurrent contact with a stripping gas G inside the distillation towerwith the temperature profile that an inner temperature gradually falls down along an upward direction, mercury is efficiently transferred from the liquid L to a vapor phase without effusion of the light fraction in accompaniment with the exhaust gas W.

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Tokyo, Japan

Senichiro Kaku