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US 6,309,431 B1Granted
Winterized paraffin crystal modifiers
AssigneeBJ Services Company
InventorsHarold L. Becker, Dora Galvan
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Winterized wax crystal modifiers which remain fluid at temperatures ranging from about −40° F. to 160° F. and methods for winterizing wax crystal modifiers are provided.
Claims19
A method of winterizing wax crystal modifiers, comprising the steps of:
- mixing at least one polymeric wax crystal modifier and a bipolar solvent, wherein said bipolar solvent is selected from the group consisting of alcohols, ethoxylated alcohols, glycol ether esters, and terpenes;
- heating said polymeric wax crystal modifier and bipolar solvent to a temperature of about 150° to 350° F. to solvate the polymeric wax crystal modifier and form a solution;
- and
- cooling said solution with mixing to form a suspension of finely divided wax crystal modifiers that remains fluid at temperatures of about −40° to 160° F.
1 more element
A method of winterizing wax crystal modifiers, comprising the steps of:
- mixing at least one acrylate or methacrylate polymer having a pendant group of C10 to C50 and an aliphatic solvent with heating to form a solution;
- and
- adding to said solution a bipolar solvent in an amount sufficient to form a suspension of finely divided wax crystal modifiers which remains fluid at temperatures of about −40° to 160° F.
A method of inhibiting the formation of wax crystal precipitates in crude oil or petroleum fuel, comprising the steps of:
- mixing at least one polymeric wax crystal modifier and a bipolar solvent, wherein said bipolar solvent is selected from the group consisting of alcohols, ethoxylated alcohols, glycol ether esters, alkanes and terpenes;
- heating said polymeric wax crystal modifier and bipolar solvent to a temperature of about 150° to 350° F. to solvate the polymeric wax crystal modifier and form a solution;
- adding a high polarity solvent with mixing to form a suspension of finely divided wax crystal modifiers that remains fluid at temperatures of about −40° to 160° F., wherein said high polarity solvent comprises diethylene glycol, butanol, isobutanol, 2-ethyl hexanol, butyl carbitol or butyl cellosolve;
- and
- contacting said suspension with crude oil or petroleum fuel to disrupt the formation of paraffin wax crystals.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.