Importance

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Abstract

A liquid hydrocarbon such as a natural gas liquid generally contains a small amount of mercury in a state of elemental mercury, ionized mercury, ionizable mercury compounds, which are requested to be removed thoroughly. Further, organic mercury compounds are contained in some natural gas liquid and other liquid hydrocarbons depending on their district of production, and its removal is also necessary. Already known adsorbents can adsorb elemental mercury and organic mercury compounds in a liquid hydrocarbon, but they hardly adsorb ionizable mercury compounds and ionized mercury derived from the ionizable mercury compounds. According to the preesent invention which comprises contacting the liquid hydrocarbon with a sulfur compound represented by a general formula MM'S.sub.x, wherein M is selected from a group consisting of alkali metal and ammonium radical, M' is selected from a group consisting of alkali metal, ammonium radical and hydrogen an x is a number of at least 1, the sulfur compound and mercury in the liquid hydrocarbon reacts to form mercury sulfide which is insoluble in the liquid hydrocarbon to be separated therefrom. If the liquid hydrocarbon contains organic mercury compounds together with elemental mercury ionized mercury and ionizable mercury compounds, the above-mentioned process is to be combined with a process of contacting the liquid hydrocarbon with an adsorbent comprising heavy metal sulfide to adsorb the organic mercury compounds together with the mercury sulfide which is formed in the above-mentioned process.

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First Claim