Application: MERICAT II treating unit oxidizes mercaptan sulfur to disulfides to reduce product odor. The streams treated are jet fuel, kerosine, natural gasoline and selectively hydrotreated FCC gasolines.
Description: A MERICAT II system consists of two treaters. The FIBERFILM Contactor section removes hydrogen sulfide and naphthenic acids while converting some mercaptans to disulfides with air, oxidation catalyst and caustic solution. The partially treated hydrocarbon exits the FIBER-FILM Contactor and passes upflow through a catalyst-impregnated carbon bed saturated with caustic to convert the remaining high-boiling mercaptans to disulfides.
Competitive advantages:
• Minimal caustic and catalyst consumption
• Operating simplicity
• Minimal capital investment
• Recausticizing of the carbon bed without interruption of treating.
The FIBER-FILM section keeps organic acids from entering the carbon bed. This conserves caustic and avoids fouling of the bed with sodium naphthenate soaps. Competitive downflow reactors need frequent carbon bed hot water washings to remove these soaps whereas MERICAT II does not require hot water washes.
The MERICAT II onstream factor is 100% while competitive systems requiring periodic cleaning have unpredictable onstream factors.
Licensor: Merichem Chemicals & Refinery Services LLC, Process Technology Division.
