Process for separating hydrocarbons from particulate solids
AssigneesWintershall Aktiengesellschaft, Gesellschaft fur Biotechnologische Forschung
InventorsFritz Wagner, Walter Lindorfer, Wilhelm Jahn-Held, Walther Schulz
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Oils or petroleum hydrocarbons are separated from solid or solid/liquid mixtures thereof with soil, sand or oil processing residues, by treating these oil-containing mixtures with an aqueous solution or dispersion of a crude extract of microbially produced glycolipids and separating the oil-containing phase from the aqueous phase.
Claims11
A process for separating oils or petroleum hydrocarbons from solid or solid/liquid mixtures thereof with particles of soil, sand or petroleum processing residues, which comprises the steps of (a) mixing said oil-containing mixture with an aqueous solution or dispersion of a crude extract of microbially produced glycolipids to form a slurry, said extract being obtained by a method consisting essentially of the steps of extracting a microbial culture solution with a solvent for glycolipids and evaporating the solvent from the extract;
- and (b) adding water, an aqueous salt solution or sea water to the slurry in an amount sufficient to cause a rapid rising of an oil phase from an aqueous phase;
- and (c) separating the oil phase from the aqueous phase, whereby said particles are rendered substantially oil-free.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.