Treatment of oil-contaminated solids
AssigneeSoane Energy, LLC
InventorsDavid S. Soane, Robert P. Mahoney, Lauren Fortin, John H. Dise
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The disclosure pertains to systems and methods for removing hydrocarbon contaminants from a contaminated solid using an environmentally benign extractant and an oleophilic absorber, where the environmentally benign extractant and the oleophilic absorber are separate components.
Claims21
A system for removing a hydrocarbon contaminant from a contaminated solid, comprising an environmentally benign extractant and an oleophilic absorber, wherein the environmentally benign extractant and the oleophilic absorber are separate components of the system.
A method for separating a hydrocarbon contaminant from a contaminated solid, the contaminated solid comprising a solid substrate and the hydrocarbon contaminant, the method comprising:
- providing an environmentally benign extractant,
- mixing the environmentally benign extractant with the contaminated solid to produce a treated solid wherein the hydrocarbon contaminant is separable from the solid substrate,
- providing an oleophilic absorber capable of extracting the hydrocarbon contaminant from the solid substrate,
- mixing the oleophilic absorber with the treated solid to extract the hydrocarbon contaminant from the solid substrate onto the oleophilic absorber, thereby forming a spent oleophilic absorber, wherein the spent oleophilic absorber comprises the hydrocarbon contaminant, and
- separating the spent oleophilic absorber from the treated solid, thereby separating the hydrocarbon contaminant from the solid substrate.
A method of treating drilling cuttings contaminated with a hydrocarbon contaminant, comprising:
- (a) washing the drilling cuttings with an environmentally benign extractant and (b) adding an oleophilic absorber to the drilling cuttings after Step (a), wherein the oleophilic absorber absorbs the hydrocarbon contaminant from the drilling cuttings.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.