The rate of recovery of a purification target gas from a gas purification apparatus that uses a PSA device is improved, and both a high purity and a high recovery rate are achieved with good power efficiency. The present invention is directed to a gas purification method using the PSA method, in which a carbon molecular sieve having a pore volume, at a pore diameter of 0.38 nm or more, of not exceeding 0.05 cm.sup.3/g and a pore volume, at a pore diameter of 0.34 nm, of 0.15 cm.sup.3/g or more, in a pore diameter distribution measured by the MP method is used as an adsorbent, and, in an adsorption step, a miscellaneous gas is adsorbed from a source gas by bringing the source gas into contact with the adsorbent for 10 seconds or more and 6000 seconds or less so as to obtain a concentrated methane.

The present invention relates to an aqueous alkanolamine solution demonstrating low volatility comprising 2-di-methylamino-2-hydroxymethyl-1, 3-propanediol useful for removing acid gases from gaseous mixtures. Said aqueous alkanolamine solution may further comprise one or more of an acid or acid-forming compound, another amino compound, an activator, a physical solvent, or one or more other compounds used in gal-liquid treatment practices. Further, the present invention relates to a process for removing acid gases from a gaseous mixture, preferably hydrogen sulfide, comprising the step of contacting the gaseous mixture with said aqueous alkanolamine solution. Examples of the gaseous mixtures include natural gas, synthesis gas, tail gas, and refinery gas.

In an aspect, a method is disclosed that includes contacting a composition with an aqueous solution to yield a mixture, where the composition includes one or more of animal fats, animal oils, plant fats, plant oils, vegetable fats, vegetable oils, greases, and used cooking oil, about 5 wt. % or more of free fatty acids, about 10 wppm or more of total metals, about 8 wppm or more phosphorus, about 20 wppm or more of nitrogen, and the aqueous solution includes ((NH.sub.4).sub.2H.sub.2EDTA, (NH.sub.4).sub.4EDTA, a monoammonium salt of diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid, a diammonium salt of diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid, a triammonium salt of diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid, a tetraammonium salt of diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid, (NH.sub.4).sub.5DTPA, a combination of citric acid and Na.sub.4EDTA, a combination of citric acid and Na.sub.2H.sub.2EDTA, a combination of citric acid and a monosodium salt of diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid, a combination of citric acid and a disodium salt of diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid, a combination of citric acid and a trisodium salt of diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid, a combination of citric acid and a tetrasodium salt of diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid, a combination of citric acid and Na.sub.5DTPA, or a combination of any two or more thereof, where the method further includes centrifuging the mixture to yield a first treated composition, wherein the first treated composition has less total metals and less phosphorus than the composition.

The invention is directed to utilization of a series of cross-linked 1,4-benzenediamine-co-alkyldiamine polymers and the use of the polymers to remove mercury from a hydrocarbon in fluid form.

The present invention relates to a method of separating and recovering NGLs from a natural gas feedstream. Specifically, the present method allows for the separation of ethane and heavier hydrocarbons and/or propane and heavier hydrocarbons from a raw natural gas feedstream to provide pipeline quality natural gas. One embodiment of this method provides for the use of a regenerable adsorbent media which is regenerated by a microwave heating system. Said regeneration step may be operated as a batch process, a semi-continuous process, or a continuous process.

An integrated plant to generate chemical grade syngas from a steam biomass reforming in a multiple stage bio reforming reactor for use with either a high temperature or low temperature Fischer-Tropsch synthesis process to produce fuel from biomass is discussed. The first stage has a reactor to cause a chemical devolatilization of a biomass feedstock from the biomass feedstock supply lines into its constituent gases of CO, H2, CO2, CH4, tars, chars, and other components into a raw syngas mixture. A second stage performs further reforming of the raw syngas from the first stage into the chemical grade syngas by further applying heat and pressure to chemically crack at least the tars, reform the CH4, or a combination of both, into their corresponding syngas molecules. The second stage feeds the chemical grade syngas derived from the biomass feedstock to the downstream Fischer-Tropsch train to produce the fuel from the biomass. One or more recycle loops supply tail gas or FT product back into the plant.

A process for the conversion of a cellulose containing feed comprising the steps of: contacting the cellulose containing feed with a molten salt hydrate and mildly hydrolyzing the cellulose to form a solution of partially hydrolized cellulose, separating one or more components of the partially hydrolyzed cellulose from the solution, converting the separated one or more components of the partially hydrolyzed cellulose in a thermo-catalytic process.

A crude oil processing plant that comprises a Fischer-Tropsch reactor is disclosed. The crude oil processing plant comprises a crude oil processing section and a hydrogen production section. The hydrogen production section is coupled to a hydrocracker in the crude oil processing section to deliver a high purity hydrogen stream. The Fischer-Tropsch reactor receives a syngas stream from the hydrogen production section and produces a hydrocarbon stream. When light crude oil is processed, the hydrocracker typically has excess capacities to upgrade the hydrocarbon stream from the Fischer-Tropsch reactor.

Dehydration method for a liquid or gaseous effluent selected from LPG, gasoline, diesel, kerosene, solvents and natural gases, by inserting the liquid or gaseous effluent against gravity through a drying column having a drying bed with an initial height (H+h) constituted in its lower area by an inert material bed having the height of h and in its upper area by deliquescent desiccants having an initial height of H. The deliquescent desiccants have an initial weight of between 3 and 40 g, the h/H ratio is lower than 0.49, and the inert material has a specific surface area greater than 100 m2/m3 and lower than 800 m2/m3. The method further includes separating water obtained from the liquid or gaseous effluent.

Methods of forming a high surface area compacted MOF powder are disclosed, as well as MOF pellets formed thereby. The method may include synthesizing a metal organic framework (MOF) powder using a first solvent, exchanging the first solvent with a second solvent such that pores of the MOF powder are at least 10% filled with the second solvent, compacting the MOF powder having pores at least 10% filled with the second solvent into a pellet, and desolvating the compacted pellet to remove the second solvent. The pellet may maintain a specific surface area after compacting that is at least 80% its initial specific surface area. Compacting the MOF powder with a solvent at least partially filling its pores may prevent or reduce crushing of the MOF pore structure and maintain surface area, for example, for hydrogen or natural gas storage.