Decontamination of sulfur contaminants from hydrocarbons
A method for removing hydrogen sulfide from a hydrocarbon. The method comprises introducing methylmorpholine-N-oxide to a vessel, wherein the vessel comprises the hydrocarbon, and wherein the hydrocarbon comprises hydrogen sulfide; and treating the hydrocarbon by allowing the methylmorpholine-N-oxide to react with the hydrogen sulfide.
1 . A method for treating sulfur contaminants, the method comprising:
(A) introducing a short-chain amine oxide to a vessel, wherein the vessel comprises a hydrocarbon, wherein the sulfur contaminants are present in the hydrocarbon, wherein the sulfur contaminants comprise at least 1000 ppm of hydrogen sulfide;
(B) allowing the short-chain amine oxide to react with the sulfur contaminant to convert the sulfur contaminant to elemental sulfur;
(C) recirculating between about one volume of the hydrocarbon comprising the short-chain amine oxide in the vessel to about ten volumes of the hydrocarbon comprising the short-chain amine oxide in the vessel;
(D) removing the elemental sulfur from the vessel, wherein the elemental sulfur is present in a treated hydrocarbon; and
(E) separating the elemental sulfur from the treated hydrocarbon.
2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the short-chain amine oxide comprises at least 2 and not more than 10 carbons.
3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the short-chain amine oxide comprises at least 2 and not more than 8 carbons.
4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the short-chain amine oxide comprises at least 3 and not more than 7 carbons.
5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the short-chain amine oxide is a heterocyclic amine oxide.
6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the short-chain amine oxide comprises methylmorpholine-N-oxide.
7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the hydrocarbon is a hydrocarbon fluid.
8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the hydrocarbon is a hydrocarbon gas.
9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the short-chain amine oxide is introduced into the hydrocarbon.
10 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the short-chain amine oxide is present in the hydrocarbon in a concentration of between about 0.01 weight volume % and about 60 weight volume % of the hydrocarbon.
11 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the short-chain amine oxide is introduced into the hydrocarbon in an amount to provide a mole ratio of short-chain amine oxide to hydrogen sulfide in the vessel from about 1.0 mole short-chain amine oxide:1.0 mole hydrogen sulfide to about 3.0 moles short-chain amine oxide:1.0 mole hydrogen sulfide.
12 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the recirculating further comprises heating the hydrocarbon.
13 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising introducing steam into the vessel.
14 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the steam comprises 150 psig steam or less.
15 . The method of claim 14 , further comprising introducing the steam into the vessel to increase the hydrocarbon to a temperature of from about 70° F. to about 150° F.
16 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the elemental sulfur is separated from the treated hydrocarbon via a centrifuge.
17 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the hydrocarbon comprises a hydrocarbon fluid layer and a hydrocarbon gas layer.
18 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the short-chain amine oxide is introduced into the hydrocarbon fluid layer.
19 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the short-chain amine oxide is introduced into the hydrocarbon gas layer.