Wax sweating
AssigneeAmoco Corporation
InventorRoger M. Rueff
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An early meltdown process of wax sweating is provided which enhances the efficiency, quality, product yield, and throughput of wax. In the early meltdown process, slack wax is crystallized. The crystallized was is then sweated while simultaneously draining the liquid drippings from the sweating oven. The congealing point of the liquid drippings are monitored. When the congealing point of the liquid drippings indicate that the melting temperature of the desired wax product has been obtained, sweating and drainage are stopped, and the remaining solid bed of wax in the sweating oven is rapidly melted and subsequently upgraded.
Claims10
A wax sweating process, comprising the steps of:
- solidifying molten wax containing oil to crystallize said wax;
- sweating said solidified wax to produce sweated wax containing less oil than said molten wax, said sweating including gradually and progressively heating said solidified wax is a sweating oven to at least its melting point;
- while
- withdrawing liquid drippings comprising some of said wax and oil from said sweating oven;
- determining the relationship of the melting point of the remaining solidified wax in said sweating oven as a function of the congealing point of said liquid drippings and the efficiency of said sweating oven;
- monitoring the congealing point of said liquid drippings as said solidified wax in said sweating oven is being heated;
- determining the melting point of the remaining solidified wax is said sweating oven based upon said monitored congealing point and said determined relationship of said melting point of the remaining solidified wax as a function of the congealing point of said liquid drippings and the efficiency of said sweating oven;
- ceasing sweating of the remaining solidified wax in said sweating oven and withdrawal of said liquid drippings from said wax sweating oven when said melting point of the remaining solidified wax in said sweating oven reaches the desired wax product;
- thereafter
- heating said oven to melt the remaining solidified wax without substantially deoiling and separating liquid drippings from said wax to liquify and produce the desired wax product;
- and
- discharging said melted wax product from said sweating oven.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.