Treatment methods for breaking certain oil and water emulsions

Patent · Wed Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1992

OSTI ID:868216

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

---

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 The first and second phases are separately withdrawn from the vessel at a withdraw temperature between about 200.degree.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
• 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

/210/208/
200
374
breaking
broken
comprising
contained
degree
described
disclosed
distinct
effectively
effectively separate
emulsion
emulsions
fatty
fluid
heated
heating
liquefication
material
methods
oil
organic
organic material
period
petroleum
petroleum oil
phase
phase comprising
phases
predetermined
predetermined period
predetermined pressure
predetermined temperature
pressure
pressurized
pressurized fluid
pressurizing
primarily
produce
resulting
salt
salt water
separate
separately
separately withdrawn
single
single vessel
solids
substantially
temperature
third
time
treatment
treatment method
treatment methods
vapor
vapor pressure
vessel
water
water emulsions
withdraw
withdrawn