Method for extracting natural gas liquids from natural gas using an adsorbent media comprising a partially pyrolized macroporous polymer

Abstract

A method is disclosed for the separation of ethane and heavier hydrocarbons or propane and heavier hydrocarbons from natural gas to provide a methane-rich natural gas stream and less volatile natural gas liquids (NGLs). This method provides for passing a natural gas feedstream though a regenerable adsorbent media which adsorbs the NGLs to provides the methane rich natural gas product. The regenerable adsorbent media of the present invention is a pyrolized macroporous polymer adsorbent media.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A process for separating natural gas liquids from a natural gas feedstream comprising methane and one or more of ethane, propane, butane, pentane, or heavier hydrocarbons comprising the steps of:
 (a) providing an adsorbent bed comprising a partially pyrolyzed macroporous polymer adsorbent media, wherein said adsorbent media adsorbs ethane, propane, butane, pentane, heavier hydrocarbons, and/or mixtures thereof;   (b) passing the natural gas feedstream through the pyrolized macroporous polymer adsorbent bed to provide a methane rich natural gas stream and a loaded pyrolized macroporous polymer adsorbent media;   (c) recovering, transporting, liquefying, or flaring the methane rich natural gas stream,   (d) regenerating the loaded pyrolized macroporous polymer adsorbent media for reuse by desorbing the adsorbed ethane, propane, butane, pentane, heavier hydrocarbons, and/or mixtures thereof,   and   (e) recovering, transporting, liquefying, re-injecting, excluding, by-passing, or flaring the ethane, propane, butane, pentane, heavier hydrocarbons individually and/or as mixtures.   
     
     
         2 . The process of  claim 1  wherein the partially pyrolyzed macroporous polymer comprise the product of controlled thermal degradation of a macroporous synthetic polymer containing macropores ranging from between 50 to 100,000 Angstroms in average critical dimension, a carbon-fixing moiety, and derived from one or more ethylenically unsaturated monomers, or monomers which may be condensed to yield macroporous polymers, or mixtures thereof, which partially pyrolyzed macroporous polymer comprises particles having: (a) at least 85% by weight of carbon, (b) multimodal pore distribution with macropores ranging in size from 50 Angstroms to 100,000 Angstroms in average critical dimension, and (c) a carbon to hydrogen atom ratio of between 1.5:1 and 20:1. 
     
     
         3 . The process of  claim 1  wherein partially pyrolyzed macroporous polymer comprises particles wherein the surface area of the particles is measured by N 2  adsorption and ranges between 50 and 1500 m 2 /gram, of which the macropores contribute about 6 to about 700 m 2 /gram as determined by mercury intrusion techniques.