U.S. Patent Office issues 4th patent for Alternative Environmental Technologies’ Sulfex™ desulfurization tech
Alternative Environmental Technologies Holdings Corp. (AET) has just been notified of the imminent issuance by the U.S. Patent Office of yet another patent directed to its Sulfex™ desulfurization technology.
The issuing patent provides additional, broad protection to features of the Sulfex™ system and further confirms the uniqueness of the Sulfex™ technology.
AET’s Sulfex™ technology is a unique technology and process of removing sulfur and similar undesirable impurities from distillates. It is much safer than the traditionally used hydro-desulfurization (HDS) processes and plants since Sulfex™ does not use high temperatures and pressures that are typical with HDS.
Instead, Sulfex™ removes sulfur from hydrocarbon fuels at substantially lower and safer temperatures and pressures. It massively reduces the CO2 emissions generated from HDS and supporting processes like steam methane reforming (SMR). The CO2 reduction varies between 70% and 90% for typical applications. It eliminates the toxic H2S generated by HDS processes.
Also, because of the low temperatures and pressures, it is believed that gas flaring will be significantly reduced. Sulfex™ does not use exotic, high maintenance precious metal heterogeneous catalysts nor does it utilize troublesome and high maintenance cavitation or ultrasonic process equipment unlike other oxidative desulfurization processes.
The Sulfex™ process achieves distillate fuel sulfur levels of < 10 ppm, and produces a fuel which is ready for use. The process has been independently verified by the U.S. Department of Energy's Argonne National Labs with mass and energy balances validated by two major EPC’s and has also been beta tested in Thailand. The first commercial unit of 1,000 bpd is now being built, to be installed in Virginia, U.S. The plan is to expand this unit by 4,000 bpd–5,000 bpd shortly after commissioning. Discussions with prospects are underway in North America, Africa and the Middle East for additional units of up to 10,000 bpd.
The intellectual property that is set forth in the newest patent further protects significant features and application methods of the Sulfex™ technology. The patent is directed to further desulfurization methods using the unique cross-flow of fuel, reagents and catalysts found within the standard Sulfex™ desulfurization plant. The method of desulfurization optimizes reagent and catalyst usage and longevity, so as to reduce capital costs, operating costs and plant footprint. Through these features Sulfex™ achieves high rates of desulfurization while minimizing catalyst and reagent use within the system while maximizing the fuel that can be processed by the catalysts and reagents. Further, such a configuration reduces processing time for such fuel processed within the system.
AET’s Vice President of Business Development, Barry Dallum stated “This additional patent shows our commitment to the advancement of low capital cost, low operating cost, safer and less polluting oil refining. The technology has been tested on middle distillate fuels, heavy fuel oils, intermediate streams within oil refineries, pyrolysis oil and distressed solvents with success at reducing contaminants.”
SGS Asset Management Chairman and CEO and AET Executive Director, Steve Stevanovich stated, “We are thrilled that another of our portfolio companies is making great strides in further developing their technology.”
Comments