The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jun. 23, 1998
Filed:
Feb. 21, 1997
Vincent E Lewis, Missouri City, TX (US);
Robert D McClain, Sugar Land, TX (US);
Michael K Poindexter, Sugar Land, TX (US);
Nalco/Exxon Energy Chemicals, L.P., Sugar Land, TX (US);
Abstract
The invention is a method of inhibiting the formation of fouling deposits occurring on the surface of an alkaline scrubber used to remove acid gases, such as hydrogen sulfide, carbon dioxide and mercaptans, from hydrocarbon streams. These deposits are formed during the scrubbing of pyrolytically produced hydrocarbons contaminated with oxygen-containing compounds with a caustic solution having a pH>7 which comprises adding an effective deposit-inhibiting amount of a non-enolizable carbonyl compound to the caustic solution. The invention is also a method of inhibiting the formation of fouling deposits occurring in spent caustic wash/stripper systems used for hydrocarbon manufacturing processes. Fouling occurs in these systems when they are in contact with hydrocarbon processing streams contaminated with oxygen-containing compounds, such as aldehydes. These deposits are formed in hydrocarbon processing streams contaminated with oxygen-containing compounds while in contact with a caustic solution having a pH>7. The invention comprises adding an effective deposit-inhibiting amount of a non-enolizable carbonyl compound to the caustic solution. Preferred non-enolizable carbonyl compounds are formaldehyde, glyoxal, benzaldehyde, p-anisaldehyde, formic acid, glyoxalic acid and paraformaldehyde.