Methods of treatment and use of spent equilibrium catalyst
AssigneeThe Board of Regents of the University of Oklahoma
InventorsSteven P. Crossley, Nicholas M. Briggs, Daniel E. Resasco
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Disclosed is a method of treating spent equilibrium catalyst (ECAT) for reuse, in which a quantity of spent ECAT comprising hydrophilic particles with differing levels of metal contamination is disposed into a reactor and treated to form carbon nanotubes on the particles having metal contamination, thereby rendering at least a portion of the spent ECAT particles hydrophobic; the hydrophobic particles can then be separated from the hydrophilic particles. Also disclosed is a method of remediating an oil spill using a carbon nanotube sponge material.
Claims16
A method of treating spent equilibrium catalyst (ECAT) for reuse, the method comprising the steps of:
- disposing a quantity of spent ECAT into a reactor, the spent ECAT comprising:
- low metal particles having a low level of metal contamination thereon below a predetermined metal content separation point, wherein the predetermined metal content separation point is in a range of from 200 ppm to 10000 ppm;
- and
- high metal particles having a high level of metal contamination thereon above the predetermined metal content separation point;
- and
- wherein the low metal particles and high metal particles are hydrophilic;
- forming treated spent ECAT by treating the spent ECAT in the reactor with a carbon-containing gas or fluid, wherein the carbon-containing gas or fluid is caused to be converted to a quantity of carbon nanotubes on the high metal particles of the spent ECAT such that the high metal particles are rendered hydrophobic while the low metal particles remain hydrophilic;
- combining the treated spent ECAT with a biphasic mixture comprising a hydrophobic component and a hydrophilic component, wherein the high metal particles primarily reside in the hydrophobic component and the low metal particles primarily reside in the hydrophilic component;
- and
- isolating the low metal particles from the hydrophilic component to form low metal spent ECAT.
A method of treating spent equilibrium catalyst (ECAT) for reuse, the method comprising the steps of:
- disposing a quantity of spent ECAT into a reactor, the spent ECAT comprising:
- low metal particles having a low level of metal contamination thereon below a predetermined metal content separation point, wherein the predetermined metal content separation point is in a range of from 200 ppm to 10000 ppm;
- and
- high metal particles having a high level of metal contamination thereon above the predetermined metal content separation point;
- and
- wherein the low metal particles and high metal particles are hydrophilic;
- forming treated spent ECAT by treating the spent ECAT in the reactor with a carbon-containing gas or fluid, wherein the carbon-containing gas or fluid is caused to be converted to a quantity of carbon nanotubes on the high metal particles of the spent ECAT such that the high metal particles are rendered hydrophobic while the low metal particles remain hydrophilic;
- combining the treated spent ECAT with a slurrying liquid to form a slurry mixture;
- aerating the slurry mixture causing formation of a froth component and a non-frothed component, wherein the high metal particles of the treated spent ECAT primarily reside in the froth component and the low metal particles of the treated spent ECAT primarily reside in the non-frothed component;
- and
- isolating the low metal particles from the non-frothed component to form low metal spent ECAT.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.