Acid based micro-emulsions
AssigneeIntegrity Industries, Inc.
InventorsJames R. Von Krosigk, William M. Duncan, Jr.
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Acid based micro-emulsions are disclosed comprising water, an acid blend, an anionic surfactant, a nonionic surfactant, a co-solvent, a solvent and an oxidizer. The micro-emulsions have particular utility in cleaning oil sludges and drilling mud residues from well cuttings, well formations and down hole and surface oil well drilling and production equipment.
Claims44
A chemical composition comprising an emulsified admixture of:
- from about 10 to about 70 weight percent water;
- from about 1 to about 60 weight percent acid blend, the acid blend including at least one mineral acid and at least one organic acid;
- from about 1 to about 50 weight percent of a nonionic surfactant;
- from about 1 to about 25 weight percent of an anionic surfactant;
- and
- from about 0.5 to about 40 weight percent solvent.
A chemical composition comprising a micro-emulsified admixture of:
- from about 10 to about 70 weight percent water;
- from about 1 to about 60 weight percent acid blend, the acid blend including at least one mineral acid and at least one organic acid;
- from about 1 to about 25 weight percent of a nonionic surfactant selected from the group consisting of (1) condensation products of ethylene oxide with aliphatic alcohols having from 8 to 22 carbon atoms in either straight or branched chain configuration, (2) condensation products of ethylene oxide with a phenol, and (3) mixtures thereof;
- from about 1 to about 25 weight percent of an anionic surfactant selected from the group consisting of fatty acid soaps, alpha olefin sulfonate, sulfonates, amine ethoxylates, amine salts of linear alkyl benzene sulfonic acid, aromatic sulfonates, metal salts of olefin sulfonate and alcohol sulfates and sulfonates, and mixtures thereof which function as anionic surfactants;
- wherein the aromatic sulfonates comprise cumene, xylene, and toluene sulfonate;
- from about 0.5 to about 40 weight percent of solvent selected from the group consisting of limonene, d-limonene, terpenes, terpinol, pinenes, pentenes, para-cymene, di-butyl ether, butyl butyrate, amyl acetate, acetates, oleates, stearates, heptanoate, laurates, caprylates, adipates, butyrates, iso-butyrates, esters, diethers, olefins, alpha olefins, xylene, toluene, isoparaffins, two ethyl hexanol, hexanol, and mixtures thereof.
A micro-emulsion comprising a micro-emulsified admixture of:
- from about 10 to about 70 weight percent water;
- from about 1 to about 5 weight percent of a first surfactant selected from the group consisting of condensation products of ethylene oxide with aliphatic alcohols having from 8 to 22 carbon atoms in either straight or branched chain configuration;
- from about 1 to about 5 weight percent of a second surfactant selected from the group consisting of condensation products of ethylene oxide and a phenol;
- from about 8 to 15 weight percent of a third surfactant selected from the group consisting of fatty acid soaps, alpha olefin sulfonate, sulfonates, amine ethoxylates, amine salts of linear alkyl benzene, sulfonic acid, aromatic sulfonates, metal salts of olefin sulfonates, and mixtures thereof which function as anionic surfactants;
- wherein the aromatic sulfonates comprise cumene, xylene, and toluene;
- from about 3 to about 16 weight percent of a co-solvent selected from the group consisting of n-butanol, iso-butanol, n-butoxyl propanol, n-butoxyl ethanol, glycols, ethers, and mixtures thereof;
- the glycols comprising propylene glycol, ethylene glycol, butylene glycol, hexylene glycol, di-propylene glycol, di-ethylene glycol, tri-propylene glycol, triethylene glycol and poly glycols;
- the ethers comprising mono-methyl ether and mono-butyl ether;
- from about 5 to about 10 weight percent of a solvent selected from the group consisting of limonene, d-limonene, terpenes, terpinol, pinenes, pentenes, para-cymene, di-butyl ether, butyl butyrate, amyl acetate, acetates, oleates, stearates, heptanoate, laurates, caprylates, adipates, butyrates, iso-butyrates, esters, diethers, olefins, alpha olefins, xylene, toluene, isoparaffins, two ethyl hexanol, hexanol, and mixtures thereof;
- and
- from about 8 to about 16 weight percent of an acid comprising hydrochloric, phosphoric, sulfuric, hydrofluoric, ammonium bifluoride, nitric, citric, oxalic, maleic, acetic, fumaric, malic, glutaric, glutamic, and mixtures thereof.
A method for preparing a micro-emulsified well cleaning composition comprising admixing with continuous mixing from about 10 to about 70 weight percent water, from about 1 to about 60 weight percent acid, from about 1 to about 25 weight percent nonionic surfactant, from about 1 to about 25 weight percent anionic surfactant and from about 1 to about 25 weight percent of a co-solvent to provide a first intermediate mixture;
- and
- adding to said first intermediate mixture, with continuous mixing, from about 0.5 to about 40 weight percent solvent and from about 0.05 to about 1 weight percent oxidizer, based on the final weight of said emulsion, and
- continuing mixing until said components comprise a micro-emulsion.
A method for preparing a micro-emulsified well cleaning composition comprising admixing with continuous mixing from about 10 to about 70 weight percent water, from about 1 to about 60 weight percent acid blend including at least one mineral acid and at least one organic acid, from about 1 to about 50 weight percent of a nonionic surfactant, from about 1 to about 25 weight percent of an anionic surfactant, and from about 1 to about 25 weight percent of a co-solvent to provide a first intermediate mixture;
- and
- adding to said first intermediate mixture, with continuous mixing, from about 0.5 to about 40 weight percent solvent and from about 0.05 to about 1 weight percent oxidizer, based on the final weight of said emulsion, and
- continuing mixing until said components comprise a micro-emulsion.
A chemical composition comprising an emulsified admixture of:
- from about 10 to about 70 weight percent water;
- from about 1 to about 60 weight percent acid blend, the acid blend including at least one mineral acid and at least one organic acid;
- from about 1 to about 25 weight percent nonionic surfactant;
- from about 1 to about 25 weight percent anionic surfactant;
- and
- from about 0.5 to about 40 weight percent solvent.
A chemical composition comprising a micro-emulsified admixture of:
- from about 10 to about 70 weight percent water;
- from about 1 to about 60 weight percent of at least one of a mineral acid and an organic acid selected from the group consisting of hydrochloric, phosphoric, sulfuric, hydrofluoric, ammonium bifluoride, nitric, citric, oxalic, maleic, acetic, fumaric, malic, glutaric, glutamic, and mixtures thereof;
- from about 1 to about 25 weight percent of a nonionic surfactant selected from the group consisting of (1) condensation products of ethylene oxide with aliphatic alcohols having from 8 to 22 carbon atoms in either straight or branched chain configuration, (2) condensation products of ethylene oxide with a phenol, and (3) mixtures thereof;
- from about 1 to about 25 weight percent of an anionic surfactant selected from the group consisting of fatty acid soaps, alpha olefin sulfonate, sulfonates, amine ethoxylates, amine salts of linear alkyl benzene sulfonic acid, aromatic sulfonates, metal salts of olefin sulfonate and alcohol sulfates and sulfonates, and mixtures thereof which function as surfactants;
- wherein the aromatic sulfonates comprise cumene, xylene, and toluene sulfonate;
- from about 0.5 to about 40 weight percent of solvent selected from the group consisting of limonene, d-limonene, terpenes, terpinol, pinenes, pentenes, para-cymene, di-butyl ether, butyl butyrate, amyl acetate, acetates, oleates, stearates, heptanoate, laurates, caprylates, adipates, butyrates, iso-butyrates, esters, diethers, olefins, alpha olefins, xylene, toluene, isoparaffins, two ethyl hexanol, hexanol, and mixtures thereof.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.