# US 2013/0153469 A1 · Method of preventing corrosion of oil pipelines, storage structures and piping

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- Number: US 2013/0153469 A1
- Document ID: US20130153469A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 13/770,610
- Filed: 2013-02-19
- Published: 2013-06-20
- Earliest claimed: 2009-11-02
- Assignees: Ceramatec, Inc.
- Inventors: John Howard Gordon
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20130153469A1

## CPC

- C10G 29/04: Metals, or metals deposited on a carrier
- C10G 75/02: by addition of corrosion inhibitors
- C10G 2300/203: Naphthenic acids, TAN
- 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

Corrosion of ferrous material such as steel or stainless steel is a problem in oil pipelines, oil storage tanks, and the piping and process equipment at oil refineries, and this corrosion may be reduced by reducing the TAN value of the oil feedstock that is used/transported within the ferrous material. This TAN value may be reduced by reacting the oil feedstock with an alkali metal, thereby forming a de-acidified alkali metal. The de-acidified alkali metal has a TAN value of less than or equal to 1 mgKOH/g.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method of reducing corrosion of ferrous materials used to process or transport oil feedstocks, the method comprising:
obtaining a quantity of an oil feedstock, wherein the oil feedstock comprising napthenic acids such that the TAN value of the oil feedstock is greater than or equal to 1 mgKOH/g; and
reacting the quantity of the oil feedstock with an alkali metal to form a de-acidified oil feedstock, wherein the de-acidified oil feedstock has a TAN value that is less than 1 mgKOH/g,
wherein the de-acidified oil feedstock decreases the likelihood that the ferrous materials used to process or transport the oil feedstock will corrode.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method as in claim 1, wherein the alkali metal comprises lithium, sodium, potassium and/or alloys thereof.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method as in claim 1, wherein the TAN value of the de-acidified oil feedstock is at or near 0 mgKOH/g.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method as in claim 1, wherein the de-acidified oil feedstock comprises a quantity of the alkali metal in its metallic state.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the alkali metal further reacts with heteroatoms/heavy metals found within the oil feedstock such that a heteroatom to carbon ratio of the de-acidified oil feedstock is less than a heteroatom to carbon ratio of the first oil feedstock.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The method of claim 5, wherein the reaction with the alkali metal occurs in the presence of a non-oxidizing gas.

### Claim 7

A method of reducing corrosion of ferrous materials used to process or transport oil feedstocks, the method comprising:
reacting an alkali metal with a quantity of an oil feedstock in the presence of a non-oxidizing gas;
removing solids formed from the reaction, thereby forming a de-acidified oil feedstock liquid;
contacting the de-acidified oil feedstock liquid with a ferrous material, wherein the de-acidified oil feedstock liquid has a TAN value of less than or equal to 1 mgKOH/g.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The method as in claim 7, wherein the de-acidified oil feedstock liquid further comprises a quantity of the alkali metal in its metallic state.

### Claim 9

A ferrous material used to process and/or transport an oil feedstock comprising:
a quantity of a de-acidified oil feedstock within the ferrous material, wherein the de-acidified oil feedstock has a TAN value that is less than 1 mgKOH/g; and
droplets of an alkali metal, wherein, wherein the alkali metal will be oxidized before the ferrous material, thereby preventing the ferrous material from corroding.

### Claim 10

A reactor comprising:
an oil feedstock material;
a quantity of an alkali metal, wherein the alkali metal reacts with the oil feedstock to reduce a TAN value of the oil feedstock to less than 1 mgKOH/g.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The reactor of claim 10, wherein the alkali metal is added directly to the reactor.

### Claim 12 (depends on 10)

The reactor of claim 10, wherein the alkali metal is formed in situ within the reactor.