Chemicals for oil spill cleanup
OwnerOlen L. Riggs, Jr.inventor
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Abstract
The clean-up of crude oil is accomplished using an oil solubilizing agent from a class of onium halides to solubilize the oil in water. The oil solubilizing agent includes a quaternary phosphonium halide, a quaternary ammonium halide, or a ternary sulfonium halide. The onium halide also includes a hydrophobic hydrocarbon chain having from 10 to 24 carbon atoms, and can include both aromatic and aliphatic components.
Claims26
A method for solubilizing crude oil in water, the method comprising the following steps:
- adding an oil solubilizing composition to the crude oil, the oil solubilizing composition comprising a quaternary phosphonium halide having the general formula:
- wherein R1 is an alkyl of 10 to about 24 carbon atoms;
- R2 and R4 are independently methyl, ethyl or propyl groups;
- R3 is methyl, ethyl or benzyl, and X− is chloride, bromide, iodide or mixtures thereof;
- and
- adding water, if not already present, and solubilizing the crude oil in the water employing micellar solubilization.
A method for dissolving crude oil in water, the method comprising the following steps:
- adding an oil solubilizing composition comprising an onium halide to the crude oil, the onium halide including a ternary sulfonium halide;
- wherein the onium halide also includes a hydrophobic hydrocarbon chain having from 10 to 24 carbon atoms;
- and
- adding water, if not already present, and solubilizing the crude oil in the water employing micellar solubilization.
A method for solubilizing crude oil in water, the method comprising the following steps:
- adding an oil solubilizing composition to the crude oil, the oil solubilizing composition comprising a quaternary phosphonium halide dissolved in isopropanol, the quaternary phosphonium halide having the general formula:
- wherein R1 is an alkyl of 10 to about 24 carbon atoms;
- R2 and R4 are independently methyl, ethyl or propyl groups;
- R3 is methyl, ethyl or benzyl, and X− is chloride, bromide, iodide or mixtures thereof;
- and
- adding water to the crude oil, if not already present, and solubilizing the crude oil in the water employing micellar solubilization.
A method for solubilizing crude oil in water, the method comprising the following steps:
- adding an oil solubilizing composition to the crude oil, the oil solubilizing composition comprising a quaternary phosphonium halide dissolved in propylene glycol, the quaternary phosphonium halide having the general formula:
- wherein R1 is an alkyl of 10 to about 24 carbon atoms;
- R2 and R4 are independently methyl, ethyl or propyl groups;
- R3 is methyl, ethyl or benzyl, and X− is chloride, bromide, iodide or mixtures thereof;
- and
- adding water to the crude oil, if not already present, and solubilizing the crude oil in the water employing micellar solubilization.
A method for dissolving crude oil in water, the method comprising the following steps:
- adding to the crude oil an oil solubilizing composition comprising an onium halide dissolved in isopropanol, the onium halide selected from the group consisting of quaternary phosphonium halide, quaternary ammonium halide, and ternary sulfonium halide, wherein the ternary sulfonium halide includes a hydrophobic hydrocarbon chain having from 10 to 24 carbon atoms;
- and
- adding water to the crude oil, if not already present, and solubilizing the crude oil in the water employing micellar solubilization.
A method for dissolving crude oil in water, the method comprising the following steps:
- adding to the crude oil an oil solubilizing composition comprising an onium halide dissolved in propylene glycol, the onium halide selected from the group consisting of quaternary phosphonium halide, quaternary ammonium halide, and ternary sulfonium halide, wherein the ternary sulfonium halide includes a hydrophobic hydrocarbon chain having from 10 to 24 carbon atoms;
- and
- adding water to the crude oil, if not already present, and solubilizing the crude oil in the water.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.