Eliminating foaming in hydrocarbon distillations
AssigneeConoco Inc.
InventorsFred C. Veatch, D. D. Orrell
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method for eliminating foam in hydrocarbon distillation systems where the foaming is caused by an ionic surface-active substance is involved. Foam is eliminated by the addition of an effective amount of a surfactant electrolytically opposite to the surface-active material already in the system. The surfactant added and the surface-active substance already in the system complex to form a non-foaming combination, allowing distillation to proceed without foaming.
Claims3
A method for preventing foaming during distillation of hydrocarbon materials containing ionic surface-active materials comprising determining the amount and type of ionic surface-active material in said hydrocarbon, then adding a stoichiometric amount of an ionic surfactant having an opposite charge and a molecular weight in the range of from about 280 to about 500 to the hydrocarbon containing said ionic surface-active material to form a non-foaming complex in said hydrocarbon, and then distilling said hydrocarbon.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.