Process for petroleum - wax separation at or above room temperature

A process for separating waxes from a liquid hydrocarbon mixture containing such waxes in solution comprising the steps of:

• (a) maintaining said liquid hydrocarbon mixture at a temperature sufficient for fluidity;
• (b) adding a solvent to said liquid hydrocarbon mixture selected from the group consisting of formaldehyde, formic acid, methanol, ketene, acetaldehyde, acetic acid, ethanol, acetone, propionaldehyde, propionic acid, propanol, and isopropanol in a ratio between 0.1:1 and 20:1 by weight to the heavy hydrocarbon content of said liquid hydrocarbon mixture,
• (c) adding water to said liquid hydrocarbon mixture,
• (d) allowing wax components of said liquid hydrocarbon mixture to crystallize to solid form
• (e) physically separating the solid crystallized wax from said liquid hydrocarbon mixture.

A process for separately and sequentially separating waxes of different melting points from a liquid hydrocarbon mixture of light-to-intermediate hydrocarbons and heavy hydrocarbons containing such waxes in solution comprising the steps of:

• (a) maintaining said liquid hydrocarbon mixture at a temperature sufficient for fluidity;
• (b) adding a co-solvent to said mixture selected from the group consisting of formaldehyde, acetone, ketene, acetaldehyde, methanol, ethanol, propionaldehyde, isopropanol, propanol, acetic acid, formic acid, and propionic acid, the ratio by weight of said co-solvent to the heavy hydrocarbon content of said mixture being between 0.1:1 and 20:1;
• (c) adding said co-solvent to said liquid hydrocarbon mixture to cause wax components of said liquid hydrocarbon mixture to crystallize to solid form;
• (d) physically separating the solid crystallized wax components from said liquid hydrocarbon mixture;
• (e) adding water to said liquid hydrocarbon mixture;
• (f) mixing said water and said liquid hydrocarbon mixture and allowing further wax components of said liquid hydrocarbon mixture to crystallize;
• and
• (g) physically separating crystallized wax components from said liquid hydrocarbon mixture.

A process for removing wax from a quantity of hydrocarbon containing wax in solution therein comprising:

• (a) forming a solution of said quantity with a solvent consisting essentially of one or more light-to-intermediate hydrocarbons;
• (b) thereafter forming a mixture of a co-solvent and said solution at a temperature sufficiently high to maintain fluidity to cause a wax precipitate to form therein wherein said co-solvent comprises a chemical which is in a liquid state at room temperature and 10 atm pressure but more volatile than said solvent, and having an empirical formula of C.sub.a H.sub.b O.sub.c where a is 1, 2, or 3, b is an even number less than 13, and c is 1 or 2;
• and
• (c) while not allowing said mixture to contact a surface with a temperature which would cause a significant reduction in the temperature of said mixture, separating wax precipitate from said mixture.

A process for removing wax from a quantity of hydrocarbon containing wax in solution therein, comprising:

• (a) forming a solution of said quantity with a solvent essentially free of formaldehyde, formic acid, methanol, ketene, acetaldehyde, acetic acid, ethanol, acetone, propionaldehyde, propionic acid, propanol, and isopropanol;
• (b) thereafter forming a mixture of a co-solvent and said solution at a temperature sufficiently high to maintain fluidity to cause a wax precipitate to form therein wherein said co-solvent comprises a chemical selected from the group comprising formaldehyde, formic acid, methanol, ketene, acetaldehyde, acetic acid, ethanol, acetone, propionaldehyde, propionic acid, propanol, and isopropanol;
• and
• (c) separating wax precipitate from said mixture.

A process for removing wax from a quantity of hydrocarbon containing wax in solution therein comprising:

• (a) forming a solution of said quantity with a solvent essentially free of alcohols having a carbon number less than four;
• (b) thereafter forming a mixture of a co-solvent and said solution at a temperature sufficiently high to maintain fluidity to cause a wax precipitate to form therein wherein said co-solvent comprises an alcohol having a carbon number less than four and which is more volatile than said solvent;
• and
• (c) separating wax precipitate from said mixture.

A process for removing wax from a quantity of hydrocarbon containing wax in solution therein comprising:

• (a) forming a solution of said quantity with a solvent essentially free of formaldehyde, formic acid, methanol, ketene, acetaldehyde, acetic acid, ethanol, acetone, propionaldehyde, propionic acid, propanol, and isopropanol;
• (b) thereafter forming a mixture of a co-solvent and said solution at a temperature sufficiently high to maintain fluidity to cause a wax precipitate to form therein wherein said co-solvent comprises an organic acid having a carbon number less than four and which is more volatile than said solvent;
• and
• (c) separating wax precipitate from said mixture.