Gasoline Treating
Cost Effectively Sweeten Naphtha Streams
API’s fixed-bed sweetening process, the API process , is used to sweeten naphtha streams including light SR naphtha, light condensate and pentanes.
The process utilizes a simple design consisting of a single reactor filled with a fixed bed of activated charcoal impregnated catalyst. A dilute caustic source is continuously injected, to maintain alkalinity, into the feed naphtha along with air, and the naphtha is passed through the fixed bed where the mercaptan species are oxidized to disulfides. The disulfides, being oil soluble, remains in the hydrocarbon (naphtha) phase.
The design of the Minalk unit reactor and reactor collection system allows for efficient caustic separation from the naphtha such that the treated naphtha will contain sodium without the need for a separate coalescing media.
The process offers several benefits:
- Produce a “doctor negative” product while minimizing removal of phenols from the naphtha
- Long catalyst life, which can further be extended by use of Merox Plus catalyst activator
- Minimum operator attention required
- Minimum discharge of spent caustic
- Low capital and operating costs
