Process, Method, and System for Removing Heavy Metals from Oily Solids
AssigneeChevron U.S.A. Inc.
InventorsRussell Evan Cooper, Dennis John O'Rear, Seyi Abiodun Odueyungbo
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Abstract
Oil is recovered from a mercury containing oily solids by mixing the solids with at least a treating agent selected from selected from flocculants, sulfidic compounds, demulsifiers, and combinations thereof, and optionally a solvent, forming a mixture. The mixture is then separated to recover a first phase containing treated oil having less than 50% of the original amount of mercury in the oily solids, and a second phase containing treated solids having a reduced concentration of mercury. In one embodiment, the oily solids comprise filter aid materials, e.g., diatomaceous earth filter media, removed from a mercury removal filtration unit by backflushing the filter.
Claims22
A process to recover oil from oily solids, the process comprising:
- providing oily solids containing particulates from a mercury removal filtration unit, the oily solids having a first amount of mercury and a first concentration of mercury;
- mixing the oily solids with at least a sulfidic compound forming a mixture, wherein the sulfidic compound is present in a molar ratio of sulfur compound to mercury from over 10:1, and the sulfidic compound when dissolved in water, yields S2−, SH−, Sx2−, or SxH− anions;
- separating the mixture to recover a first phase containing treated oil having less than 50% of the first amount of mercury and a second phase containing treated solids having a second amount of mercury which is less than the first amount of mercury.
A process to recover oil from oily solids, the process comprising:
- providing oily solids containing filter aid materials from a mercury removal filtration unit, the oily solids having a first amount of mercury;
- mixing the oily solids with water for a weight ratio of water to oily solids of 15:1 to 10,000:1, and a sufficient amount of sulfidic compound for a molar ratio of sulfur compound to mercury from over 10:1, forming a mixture, wherein the sulfidic compound when dissolved in water, yields S2−, SH−, Sx2−, or SxH− anions;
- separating the mixture for a first phase containing treated oil in water and a second phase containing solids having a second amount of mercury, wherein the second amount of mercury is less than the first amount of mercury;
- and
- separating the first phase containing treated oil in water to recover a first stream containing water having more than 50% of the first amount of mercury and a second stream containing treated oil having less than 50% of the first amount of mercury.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.