The present invention provides a process for the removal of contaminants from contaminated crude oil in a vessel. An organic solvent stream is provided to the vessel containing crude oil. After mixing, an organic solvent bottom phase is allowed to form. The bottom phase comprises at least a portion of the organic solvent stream and at least a portion of the contaminants. The bottom phase is removed from the vessel, while the remaining crude oil is retained in the vessel. An aqueous stream is provided to the vessel and mixed with the remaining crude oil, allowing an aqueous bottom phase to form. The aqueous bottom phase is removed from the vessel, while the remaining crude oil is retained in the vessel.

A method and apparatus for continuously treating acid gases including recovering absorbent chemicals by introducing streams leaving a regenerator and/or leaving an absorber into a static mixing zone wherein supplemental washing water is added to recover absorbent chemicals. Improvements to the prior art methods are provided where one or more absorbent chemical recovery units are included to increase the amount of recovered absorbent chemicals exiting the regenerator and/or exiting the absorber are increased and/or maximized. Absorbent chemical recovery units can include mixing units where liquid is added to the stream of sour gas and absorbent chemical to mix with and absorb the absorbent chemical from the stream.

A method and apparatus for continuously treating acid gases including recovering absorbent chemicals by introducing streams leaving a regenerator and/or leaving an absorber into a static mixing zone wherein supplemental washing water is added to recover absorbent chemicals. Improvements to the prior art methods are provided where one or more absorbent chemical recovery units are included to increase the amount of recovered absorbent chemicals exiting the regenerator and/or exiting the absorber are increased and/or maximized. Absorbent chemical recovery units can include mixing units where liquid is added to the stream of sour gas and absorbent chemical to mix with and absorb the absorbent chemical from the stream.

Ionic liquids of the general formula C.sup.+A.sup.− where C.sup.+ represents an organic cation, specifically, but not limited to the imidazolium, pyridinium, isoquinolinium, ammonium types, which have aliphatic and aromatic substituents, while A.sup.− represents a carboxylate, aromatic and aliphatic anion. The ionic liquids are synthesized under conventional heating or microwave irradiation This invention is also related to the application of ionic liquids to remove sulfur compounds of naphthas through a liquid-liquid extraction and the recovery and reuse of ionic liquids by the application of heat, reduced pressure and washing with solvents.

Ionic liquids of the general formula C.sup.+A.sup.− where C.sup.+ represents an organic cation, specifically, but not limited to the imidazolium, pyridinium, isoquinolinium, ammonium types, which have aliphatic and aromatic substituents, while A.sup.− represents a carboxylate, aromatic and aliphatic anion. The ionic liquids are synthesized under conventional heating or microwave irradiation This invention is also related to the application of ionic liquids to remove sulfur compounds of naphthas through a liquid-liquid extraction and the recovery and reuse of ionic liquids by the application of heat, reduced pressure and washing with solvents.

A process for liquid-liquid extraction of an oil-blend of non-uniform oligomeric and polymeric components comprising: (a) preselecting a desired molecular weight (Mw) boundary between heavy and light components; (b) selecting an extractive solvent or an extractive mixture of solvents, which form essentially a single phase with the light components; (c) mixing the oil-blend and the extractive solvent or extractive mixture of solvents selected in step (b) at elevated temperature, which is at least at or above said fractionation temperature, and wherein the extractive solvent/mixture of solvents to oil-blend ratio is from 1:2 to 100:1; (d) allowing a phase split to form between the heavy components fraction and the light components/extractive solvent fraction at the fractionation temperature or at most 10° C. below the fractionation temperature; (e) followed by separation of said fractions.

A method for treating liquefied hydrocarbons including acid gases to remove said acid gases while minimizing loss of amine species, said method comprising the steps of contacting the liquefied hydrocarbons with an absorbent aqueous solution of a first amine compound, the first amine compound having the structure: ##STR00001##
wherein R.sub.1 is propane-2,3-diol; R.sub.2 is hydrogen, methyl ethyl, 2-hydroxyethyl, or propane-2,3-diol; and R.sub.3 is hydrogen, methyl, ethyl, 2-hydroxyethyl or propane-2,3-diol.

There is a process for the selective recovery of transition metals from an organic stream containing transition metals. The organic stream and possibly a first extractor if solid, are melted up to the liquid state. The extractor consists of an ionic liquid or a mixture of two or more ionic liquids and the ionic liquid contains an ammonium salt as cation and as anion an anion with chelating properties. A melted organic stream and a first extractor, optionally melted, are fed to a first liquid-liquid extraction unit working at a temperature of at least 150° C. where the liquid-liquid extraction is carried out obtaining a liquid mixture containing an ionic liquid, or a mixture of two or more ionic liquids, and metals. After extraction, the liquid mixture is cooled at a temperature between 0° C. and 70° C. and becomes biphasic; then the cooled mixture is sent to a first separation unit, to separate a liquid phase that contains ionic liquids and metals, and a metal-depleted solid phase. After the first separation, the separated metal-depleted solid phase is optionally sent to a washing unit to which a solvent is fed, so as to eliminate the residual ionic liquid by transferring it into the solvent and obtaining a metal-depleted solid phase. Then the separate liquid phase containing ionic liquids and metals is sent into a liquid-liquid precipitation and separation unit, adding a counter-solvent, thereby obtaining a solid phase containing the metals and a liquid stream containing counter-solvent and ionic liquids.

A process for preparing a purified benzene composition from a crude hydrocarbon stream containing at least 10% by volume of benzene is provided. The process comprises subjecting the crude hydrocarbon stream and a further recycled benzene containing stream to a solvent-based extraction so as to produce a benzene enriched aromatic stream and a benzene depleted non-aromatic stream, subjecting the benzene enriched aromatic stream to a hydrodesulfurization so as to obtain a desulfurized aromatic stream, subjecting the desulfurized aromatic stream to a distillation producing a purified benzene stream and a further benzene containing stream having a benzene concentration of between less than 100% by weight and the azeotropic benzene concentration, and at least partially recycling the further benzene containing stream.

Described are compositions including a reaction product of an amino alcohol and an aldehyde and a reaction product of a monohydric or polyhydric alcohol, an aldehyde and a nitrogen-containing compound. In addition, processes for removing sulfur compounds from process streams using such compositions are described, as well as such processes in which the process stream is contacted independently with a reaction product of an amino alcohol and an aldehyde and a reaction product of a monohydric or polyhydric alcohol, an aldehyde and a nitrogen-containing compound. Further described is the use of such compositions to remove sulfur compounds from process streams and the use of a reaction product of an amino alcohol and an aldehyde and a reaction product of a monohydric or polyhydric alcohol, an aldehyde and a nitrogen-containing compound to remove sulfur compounds from process streams.