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US 4,045,313 AGranted
Electrolytic recovery from bituminous materials
AssigneeUniversity of Southern California
InventorsTeh Fu Yen, Chaur-Shyong Wen
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Abstract
Chemical products are obtained by oxidative electrolysis of an electrolytically active slurry of bituminous material and alkaline electrolyte.
Claims10
A process for treating bituminous material for recovery of chemicals therefrom, comprising:
- slurrying said material with an aqueous alkaline electrolytic solution;
- defining an electrolytic cell having a cathode chamber electrolytically operative with an anode chamber, an anode in said anode chamber in contact with said slurry and a cathode in said cathode chamber;
- and
- applying a direct current potential across said anode and cathode chambers at a current density of above about about 15 A/m.sup.2 for a time sufficient to effect substantial oxidative electrolysis of said material whereby to obtain a water-soluble product, and a residue, therefrom;
- and
- separating said water-soluble product from said residue.
3 more elements
A process for treating raw oil shale for recovery of chemicals therefrom, comprising:
- grinding said oil shale to pass at least a 60 mesh screen, U.S. Standard;
- adding organic solvent for bitumen to said ground shale to solubilize bitumen in said shale, and extracting said solubilized bitumen;
- adding a mineral acid to said extracted shale for leaching carbonate minerals;
- washing to remove residual acid and reaction products of said leaching to obtain a kerogen concentrate;
- slurrying said kerogen concentrate with a dilute aqueous solution of alkali metal hydroxide as electrolyte at a concentration of greater than 1.0 N;
- placing said slurry into the anode chamber of an electrolytic cell having a cathode chamber electrolytically operative with said anode chamber;
- applying a direct current potential across said anode and cathode chambers at a current density of at least 15 A/m.sup.2 for at least one hour to effect electrolysis of said kerogen concentrate whereby to obtain a water-soluble product, and a residue, therefrom;
- and
- separating said water-soluble product from said residue by filtration of said residue, precipitation of product by acidification of the resultant filtrate and extraction with non-aqueous solvent of further product from the filtrate resulting from said precipitation.
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.