# US 2013/0153465 A1 · Processing Hydrocarbons > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2013/0153465 A1 - Document ID: US20130153465A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 13/768,593 - Filed: 2013-02-15 - Published: 2013-06-20 - Earliest claimed: 2009-04-03 - Assignees: Xyleco, Inc. - Inventors: Marshall Medoff - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20130153465A1 ## CPC - E21B 43/2403: {by means of nuclear energy} - C10G 1/00: Production of liquid hydrocarbon mixtures from oil-shale, oil-sand, or non-melting solid carbonaceous or similar materials, e.g. wood, coal (mechanical winning of oil from oil-shales, oil-sand, or the like B03B) - C10G 1/04: by extraction - C10G 15/08: by electric means or by electromagnetic or mechanical vibrations - C10G 15/10: by particle radiation - E21B 43/24: using heat, e.g. steam injection - E21B 43/281: {using heat} - C10G 2300/1033: Oil well production fluids - C10G 2300/4037: In-situ processes - C10G 2300/807: Steam - E21B 43/2401: {by means of electricity} - E21B: EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; OBTAINING OIL, GAS, WATER, SOLUBLE OR MELTABLE MATERIALS OR A SLURRY OF MINERALS FROM WELLS - C10G: CRACKING HYDROCARBON OILS; PRODUCTION OF LIQUID HYDROCARBON MIXTURES, e.g. BY DESTRUCTIVE HYDROGENATION, OLIGOMERISATION, POLYMERISATION (cracking to hydrogen or synthesis gas C01B; cracking or pyrolysis of hydrocarbon gases to individual hydrocarbons or mixtures thereof of definite or specified constitution C07C; cracking to cokes C10B); RECOVERY OF HYDROCARBON OILS FROM OIL-SHALE, OIL-SAND, OR GASES; REFINING MIXTURES MAINLY CONSISTING OF HYDROCARBONS; REFORMING OF NAPHTHA; MINERAL WAXES ## Abstract Systems and methods that include providing, e.g., obtaining or preparing, a material that includes a hydrocarbon carried by an inorganic substrate, and exposing the material to a plurality of energetic particles, such as accelerated charged particles, such as electrons or ions. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method comprising: exposing a material comprising a hydrocarbon carried by an inorganic substrate to at least 0.5 megarads of radiation. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the inorganic substrate comprises exterior surfaces, and wherein the hydrocarbon is carried on at least some of the exterior surfaces. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the inorganic substrate comprises interior surfaces, and wherein the hydrocarbon is carried on at least some of the interior surfaces. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the material comprises oil shale. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the material comprises oil sand. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the inorganic substrate comprises a material having a thermal conductivity of less than 5 W m−1 K−1. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the inorganic substrate comprises at least one of an aluminosilicate material, a silica material, and an alumina material. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7, wherein the substrate further comprises a noble metal, such as platinum, iridium, or rhodium. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7, wherein the substrate comprises a zeolite material. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9, wherein the zeolite material has a base structure selected from the group consisting of ZSM-5, Zeolite Y, Zeolite Beta, mordenite, ferrierite, and mixtures of any two or more of these structures. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein the radiation is in the form of energetic particles. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein exposing the hydrocarbon to radiation reduces the molecular weight by at least about 25%. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12 wherein the hydrocarbon initially has a molecular weight of from about 300 to about 2000, and after irradiation the hydrocarbon has a molecular weight of from about 190 to about 1750. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 further comprising delivering radiation to a site where the material is found. ### Claim 15 A method of processing a hydrocarbon material, the method comprising: exposing a hydrocarbon that has been combined with a solid supporting material to a plurality of charged particles or photons to deliver a dose of radiation of at least 0.5 megarads. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15 further comprising processing the exposed combined hydrocarbon and solid supporting material to obtain at least one hydrocarbon product. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16, wherein the processing comprises oxidizing and/or reducing the combined hydrocarbon and solid supporting materials. ### Claim 18 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, wherein the solid supporting material comprises at least one catalyst material. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The method of claim 18, wherein the at least one catalyst material comprises at least one material selected from the group consisting of platinum, rhodium, osmium, iron, and cobalt. ### Claim 20 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, wherein the solid supporting material comprises a material selected from the group consisting of silicate materials, silicas, aluminosilicate materials, aluminas, oxide materials, and glass materials.