# US 10,501,340 B2 · Surfactant removal from produced waters > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,501,340 B2 - Document ID: US10501340B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/189,590 - Filed: 2016-06-22 - Published: 2016-12-22 - Granted: 2019-12-10 - Earliest claimed: 2015-06-22 - Assignees: ConocoPhillips Company - Applicants: Conocophillips Company - Inventors: Riley B. Needham; Sriram Solairaj - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10501340B2 ## CPC - C02F 1/281: {using inorganic sorbents} - B01D 15/02: with moving adsorbents - B01D 21/00: Separation of suspended solid particles from liquids by sedimentation ({separation of ores or the like by sedimentation B03B5/48 - B03B5/60} ; differential sedimentation B03D3/00; {purification of water, waste water, sewage or sludge C02F, e.g.} devices for separating or removing fatty or oily substances or similar floating material from water, waste water or sewage C02F1/40) - B01J 20/06: comprising oxides or hydroxides of metals not provided for in group B01J20/04 - B01J 20/28016: {Particle form} - B01J 20/3204: {Inorganic carriers, supports or substrates} - B01J 20/3236: {containing metal, other than zeolites, e.g. oxides, hydroxides, sulphides or salts} - C02F 1/288: {using composite sorbents, e.g. coated, impregnated, multi-layered} - C02F 1/385: {by centrifuging suspensions (centrifuges B04B)} - C02F 1/285: {using synthetic organic sorbents} - C02F 1/72: by oxidation {(C02F1/4672 takes precedence)} - C02F 2001/007: {Processes including a sedimentation step} - C02F 2101/301: {Detergents, surfactants} - C02F 2101/40: {containing sulfur} - C02F 2103/10: from quarries or from mining activities - C02F: TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE (separation in general B01D; special arrangements on waterborne vessels of installations for treating water, waste water or sewage, e.g. for producing fresh water, B63J; adding materials to water to prevent corrosion C23F; treating radioactively-contaminated liquids G21F9/04; regeneration of reactants for recirculation into processes, see the relevant places for the processes) - B01D: SEPARATION (separating solids from solids by wet methods B03B, B03D; by pneumatic jigs or tables B03B; by other dry methods B07; magnetic or electrostatic separation of solid materials from solid materials or fluids, separation by high-voltage electric fields B03C; centrifuges, vortex apparatus B04; presses per se for squeezing-out liquid from liquid-containing material B30B9/02; treatment of water C02F, e.g. softening by ion-exchange C02F1/42; {arrangements of air intake cleaners in gas turbine plants F02C7/05} ; arrangements or mounting of filters in air-conditioning, air-humidification or ventilation F24F13/28) - B01J: CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROCESSES, e.g. CATALYSIS OR COLLOID CHEMISTRY; THEIR RELEVANT APPARATUS ## Abstract A method for removing a surfactant from a water stream includes contacting the water stream with a particulate support having a hydrous iron oxide coating to provide a treated water stream. The treated water stream has less surfactant than the water stream. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for removing a surfactant from a water stream, the method consisting essentially of: providing a water stream comprising produced water containing surfactant recovered from an oil well, contacting the water stream with a particulate support comprising sand with a hydrous iron oxide coating, absorbing said surfactant to said hydrous iron oxide coating to provide a surfactant-iron-sand complex, and separating the water stream from said particulate support to thereby provide a treated water stream comprising less surfactant than the water stream. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein said hydrous iron oxide coating is formed by adding a hydrous iron oxide precursor to the water stream to form the hydrous iron oxide coating. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the particulate support is a bed of moving sand. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the treated water stream has less than 1 wt. % residual surfactant. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein said surfactant is at least partially degraded. ### Claim 6 (depends on 3) The method of claim 3, wherein said surfactant is at least partially degraded and adsorbing the degraded surfactant to the hydrous iron oxide coating to provide a degraded surfactant-iron-sand complex. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the surfactant of the surfactant-iron-sand complex is at least partially degraded. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the separating is by gravity separating, filtering, centrifuging, decanting, or a combination comprising at least one of the foregoing separating methods, preferably by gravity separating. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the surfactant is present in the water stream in an amount of 50 to 400 ppm. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the surfactant is an anionic surfactant. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein the anionic surfactant comprises a C4-25 alkyl sulfonate, a C6-25 alkylaryl sulfonate, a C4-25 alkyl sulfate, or a salt thereof, or a combination comprising at least one of the foregoing. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the surfactant comprises dodecylsulfate or an alkali metal salt thereof. ### Claim 13 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, wherein the hydrous iron oxide precursor comprises ferric chloride, ferrous chloride, ferric sulfate, ferrous sulfate, or a combination comprising at least one of the foregoing. ### Claim 14 (depends on 3) The method of claim 3, wherein the contacting comprises passing the water through the bed of moving sand. ### Claim 15 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, wherein the hydrous iron oxide precursor is present in the water stream at a hydrous iron oxide precursor:surfactant molar ratio of 0.25:1 to 5:1. ### Claim 16 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, wherein the water stream is a produced water stream recovered from an oil well; the hydrous iron oxide precursor comprises ferric chloride; and the surfactant is an anionic surfactant in an amount of 50 to 400 ppm. ### Claim 17 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, comprising oxidizing the water stream prior to introducing the hydrous iron oxide precursor to the water stream.