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US 9,309,466 B2Granted
Catalytic method to upgrade oil
AssigneeRacional Energy & Environmental Company
InventorRamon Perez-Cordova
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method to upgrade oil wherein an oil containing material is heated with a catalyst in a turbulent environment of less than about 1 volume percent oxygen to produce a vapor phase comprising an upgraded oil. Also disclosed is a thermal desorption process in which an oil contaminated substrate is contacted with an acidic reagent to form a peptizate, and the peptizate is mixed with a combustion effluent gas under turbulent conditions at a temperature above 200° C. to form the catalyst for the oil upgrading method.
Claims20
A method comprising:
- heating an oil containing material with a catalyst in a turbulent environment comprising less than about 1 volume percent oxygen within a reactor at a temperature, pressure, and for a period of time sufficient to produce a vapor phase at an exit of the reactor comprising an upgraded oil, wherein the vapor phase exits the reactor at a temperature of greater than or equal to about 150° C.;
- the upgraded oil comprising at least one of (1) a lower aromatic content relative to the oil present in the oil containing material;
- (2) a lower sulfur content relative to the oil present in the oil containing material;
- (3) a lower functional group content relative to the oil present in the oil containing material;
- and (4) a higher viscosity, a higher viscosity index, or both, relative to the oil present in the oil containing material;
- the catalyst comprising particulates recovered from a thermal desorption process in which an oil contaminated substrate has been contacted with an acidic reagent to form a peptizate and the peptizate mixed with a combustion effluent gas comprising less than about 1 volume percent oxygen under turbulent conditions at a temperature above 200° C. to form a light phase comprising desorbed oil and a dense phase from which the catalyst is recovered, the substrate comprising a peptizable matrix component selected from acid-reactive clays and minerals.
3 more elements
A method comprising:
- recovering catalyst as particulates from a dense phase of a thermal desorption process comprising contacting an oil contaminated substrate with an acidic reagent to form a peptizate, and mixing the peptizate with a combustion effluent gas comprising less than about 1 volume percent oxygen under turbulent conditions at a temperature above 200° C. to form a light phase comprising desorbed oil and the dense phase from which the catalyst is recovered, wherein the substrate comprises a peptizable matrix component selected from acid-reactive clays and minerals;
- and
- heating an oil containing material with the recovered catalyst in a turbulent environment comprising less than about 1 volume percent oxygen within a reactor at a temperature, pressure, and for a period of time sufficient to produce a vapor phase at an exit of the reactor comprising an upgraded oil;
- wherein the vapor phase exits the reactor at a temperature of greater than or equal to about 150° C.;
- and
- wherein the upgraded oil comprises at least one of (1) a lower aromatic content relative to the oil present in the oil containing material;
- (2) a lower sulfur content relative to the oil present in the oil containing material;
- (3) a lower functional group content relative to the oil present in the oil containing material;
- and (4) a higher viscosity, a higher viscosity index, or both, relative to the oil present in the oil containing material.
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.