Granted Patent B2

US 7,314,545 · App. 10/754,952 · Granted Jan 1, 2008

Abstract

Claims (14)

1. A process comprising:

(a) contacting a fuel containing organosulfur impurities with an organic hydroperoxide in the presence of an oxidation catalyst to form an oxidized fuel, wherein a substantial portion of the organosulfur impurities are converted into sulfones and a residual amount of organic hydroperoxide remains in the oxidized fuel;

(b) extracting the sulfones from the oxidized fuel to form a fuel having a reduced amount of sulfones and a residual amount of organic hydroperoxide; and

(c) contacting the fuel from step (b) with a Group 4 to 11 transition metal-containing decomposition catalyst at a temperature in the range of 20 to 150° C.

2. The process of claim 1 wherein the organic hydroperoxide is tertiary butyl hydroperoxide.

3. The process of claim 1 wherein the oxidation catalyst is a titanium-containing silicon oxide catalyst.

4. The process of claim 1 wherein the sulfones are extracted by solid-liquid extraction using at least one sulfone adsorbent.

5. The process of claim 1 wherein the sulfones are extracted by liquid-liquid extraction using at least one polar solvent selected from the group consisting of a C 1 -C 4 alcohol, a C 3 -C 8 ketone, water, and mixtures thereof.

6. The process of claim 5 wherein the polar solvent is a mixture of methanol and water.

7. The process of claim 1 wherein the Group 4 to 11 transition metal-containing decomposition catalyst comprises a Group 4 to 11 transition metal and a support.

8. The process of claim 7 wherein the Group 4 to 11 transition metal is selected from the group consisting of chromium, titanium, manganese, vanadium, iron, ruthenium, cobalt, and mixtures thereof.

9. The process of claim 7 wherein the Group 4 to 11 transition metal is selected from the group consisting of chromium, titanium, iron, and mixtures thereof.

10. The process of claim 7 wherein the support is selected from the group consisting of silicas, aluminas, silica-aluminas, and carbon.

11. The process of claim 7 wherein the decomposition catalyst comprises chromium, silica, and optionally titanium.

Assignments (32)