Demercaptanization of Light Hydrocarbon Fractions with Strong Aqueous Ammonia without Producing Sulfur Caustic Wastewater

A technology for the demercaptanization of light hydrocarbon fractions and liquefied petroleum gas with 25% aqueous ammonia is proposed. One advantage of this method for the demercaptanization of oil fractions over conventional processes such as Merox is the absence of a stage of oxidative catalytic recovery of spent caustic and highly toxic sulfur caustic wastewater. Spent (saturated with sulfur compounds) aqueous ammonia is recovered at the same plant for the distillation of sulfur ammonia wastewater in which aqueous ammonia is produced.