Back to results
US 4,739,040 AGranted
Surfactants from lignin
AssigneeTexaco Inc.
InventorsDouglas G. Naae, Lawrence E. Whittington, Will A. Ledoux, Francis E. Debons
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method of producing surfactants from lignin is disclosed by reducing lignin in the presence of a carbon monoxide or hydrogen reducing agent at high temperature and pressure to produce low molecular weight lignin phenols and subjecting the lignin phenols to one or a combination of several reactions such as alkoxylation, alkylation, sulfonation, sulfation, alkoxysulfation, and sulfomethylation. The lignin surfactants so produced can be employed in a surfactant system to recover oil from underground formations.
Claims42
A method of producing surfactants from lignin, which comprises:
- placing lignin in contact with water;
- converting the lignin into low molecular weight-lignin phenols by reducing the lignin in the presence of a reducing agent of carbon monoxide or hydrogen,
- said reduction occurring at a temperature greater than about 200.degree. C. and a pressure greater than about 100 psi;
- recovering the oil soluble lignin phenols from the reaction mixture;
- converting the lignin phenols into lignin surfactants by a reaction selected from the group consisting of alkoxylation, sulfonation, sulfation, alkylation, sulfomethylation, and alkoxysulfation.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.