GB943777A - Colloidal dispersions of alkali metal inorganic salts in hydrocarbon oils - Google Patents

Abstract

A stabilized colloidal sol of an alkali metal salt of an inorganic acid in a hydrocarbon oil is produced by adding to the oil from 5-20% by weight of an oleophilic surfactant and from 5-20% by weight of an alkyl phenol e.g. of M.W. 200-700, or a thioether or polysulphide of an alkyl phenol of at least 300 M.W., heating to 250 DEG -300 DEG F., vigorously agitating, and simultaneously adding to the agitated mixture streams of an inorganic acidic material which is CO2, S, CS2, H3BO3 or H2O2 and of a concentrated aqueous or alcoholic solution of an alkali metal hydroxide. The oleopholic surfactant may be an aliphatic amine, a phosphorus sulphide-treated hydrocarbon (the hydrocarbon being a heavy petroleum fraction containing less than 5% of aromatics or a polyolefin, e.g. a polybutene, having a molecular weight from 500 to 200,000 and containing 2 to 6 carbon atoms per olefin monomer), or a metal salt of a sulphonic acid (e.g. a sulphonic acid of molecular weight 300-700, preferably 400-600, which can contain more than one sulphonyl group and which may be produced either by sulphonating an alkyl aromatic hydrocarbon such as didodecylbenzene or a lubricating oil base stock). The alkyl phenol may be an alkylation product of phenol with diisobutylene or tripropylene and the thioether of an alkyl phenol may be di-(2:4 - di - tert. - amylphenol) - monosulphide. A solution of the surfactant in light lubricating oil may be used. To effect rapid transfer of a metal carbonate across the interface 0.03-0.1 equivalents of alkyl phenol or the thioether or polysulphide per equivalent of metal are required, the surfactant solution being heated, the alkyl phenol or the thioether or polysulphide being added, the mixture being stirred and the inorganic acidic reactant and the solution of alkali metal hydroxide being added simultaneously over a period of 1 to 3 hours. The desired sol is finally recovered as the filtrate on filtering the reaction product. A suitable phosphosulphurized hydrocarbon may be prepared by reacting 100 parts by weight of a polybutene having an average Staudinger M.W. of about 1100 with 15 parts by weight of P2S5 for 8 to 12 hours at 425 DEG -450 DEG F. with stirring and nitrogen blowing. In Example 1, a mixture of phosphosulphurized polybutene and neutral mineral oil are heated with stirring to 260 DEG -280 DEG F. and crude alkylated phenol is added. The temperature is maintained at 260 DEG -280 DEG F. and 50% aqueous sodium hydroxide and CO2 are added at a constant rate for 120 minutes, the temperature is raised to 300 DEG F. and maintained for 15 minutes, and the product is filtered at 300 DEG -310 DEG F. with an addition of filter aid, the product is then heated with stirring with phosphosulphurized polybutene and neutral mineral oil, filtration not being necessary. Example 2 shows the effect of the addition of alkylated phenols on the transfer of sodium carbonate from the polar to the non-polar phase using phosphosulphurized polybutene in one pair of tests and a sodium petroleum sulphonate as the surfactant in the other pair of tests.ALSO:A stabilized colloidal sol of an alkali metal salt of an inorganic acid in a hydrocarbon oil is produced by adding to the oil from 5-20% by weight of an oleophilic surfactant and from 5-20% by weight of an alkyl phenol, e.g. of M.W. 200-700, or a thioether or polysulphide of an alkyl phenol of at least 300 M.W., heating to 250-300 DEG F., vigorously agitating, and simultaneously adding to the agitated mixture streams of an inorganic acidic material which is CO2, S, CS2, H3BO5 or H2O2 and of a concentrated aqueous or alcoholic solution of an alkali metal hydroxide. The oleophilic surfactant may be an aliphatic amine, a phosphorus sulphide-treated hydrocarbon (the hydrocarbon being a heavy petroleum fraction containing less than 5% of aromatics or a polyolefin, e.g. a polybutene, having a molecular weight from 500 to 200,000 and containing 2 to 6 carbon atoms per olefin monomer), or a metal salt of a sulphonic acid (e.g. a sulphonic acid of molecular weight 300-700, which can contain more than one sulphonyl group and which may be produced by sulphonating either an alkyl aromatic hydrocarbon such as didodecylbenzene or a lubricating oil base stock). A solution of the surfactant in light lubricating oil may be used. The desired sol is recovered as the filtrate on filtering the reaction product.