Treatment methods for breaking certain oil and water emulsions

Patent · Wed Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1992

OSTI ID:868216

Baker, Eddie G ^[1]; Elliott, Douglas C ^[1]

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1. Richland, WA

Disclosed are treatment methods for breaking emulsions of petroleum oil and salt water, fatty oil and water, and those resulting from liquefication of organic material. The emulsions are broken by heating to a predetermined temperature at or above about 200.degree. C. and pressurizing to a predetermined pressure above the vapor pressure of water at the predetermined temperature to produce a heated and pressurized fluid. The heated and pressurized fluid is contained in a single vessel at the predetermined temperature and pressure for a predetermined period of time to effectively separate the emulsion into substantially distinct first and second phases, the first phase comprising primarily the petroleum oil, the second phase comprising primarily the water. The first and second phases are separately withdrawn from the vessel at a withdraw temperature between about 200.degree. C. and 374.degree. C. and a withdraw pressure above the vapor pressure of water at the withdraw temperature. Where solids are present in the certain emulsions, the above described treatment may also effectively separate the certain emulsion into a substantially distinct third phase comprising primarily the solids.

• Research Organization: Battelle Memorial Institute, Columbus, OH (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: AC06-76RL01830
• Assignee: Battelle Memorial Institute (Richland, WA)
• Patent Number(s): US 5100559
• OSTI ID: 868216
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

treatment
methods
breaking
oil
water
emulsions
disclosed
petroleum
salt
fatty
resulting
liquefication
organic
material
broken
heating
predetermined
temperature
200
degree
pressurizing
pressure
vapor
produce
heated
pressurized
fluid
contained
single
vessel
period
time
effectively
separate
emulsion
substantially
distinct
phases
phase
comprising
primarily
separately
withdrawn
withdraw
374
solids
described
third
phase comprising
treatment method
petroleum oil
treatment methods
predetermined pressure
vapor pressure
pressurized fluid
predetermined temperature
organic material
predetermined period
separately withdrawn
single vessel
salt water
effectively separate
water emulsions
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