US1404374A - Process for clarifying and improving the color of petroleum oils - Google Patents

Description

y M. L. CHAPPELL'AND M. M. MooRE. 1

PROCESS FOR CLARIFYING AND IMPROVING THE COLOR 0F P ERO LEUM OILS. APPLlcAUoN nLb'rEB. 1a, 14929.

UNITED STATES MARVIN L. CHAPPELL AND MERLE M.

ASSIGNORS TO STANDARD OIL COMPANY OF CALIFORNIA,

PATENT OFFICE.

MOORE, or EL sEoUNDo, CALIFORNIA,

or s AN FRAN- `ISCO, CALIFORNIA, A CORPORATION OIE'- CALIFORNIA.

PROCESS FOR CLARIFYING AND IMPROVING THE COLOR F PETROLEUM OILS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 24 1922.

Application led February 18, 1920. Serial No. 359,755.

' To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that we, MARVIN L. CHAP- PELL and MERLE M. MooRE, citizens of the United States, residing at El Segundo, in the county of Los Angeles and State of California, have invented anew and useful Processfor Clarifying and Improving the Color of Petroleum Oils, of which the followin "is a specification.

rIhisfinvention relates to the art of clarifyingand iInp-roving the color of petroleum oils by the use df clarifying and decolorizin agents. While not necearily limited t ereto, it more specifically refers to the art of clarifyin and improving the color of lubricating o1 s.

One object of the invention is to provide a method orv process whereby a substantially uniform clarified oil of the desired color may be produced with a minimum consump- .tion of the clariffying decolorizing agent;

another object is to' provide such a process which may be performed with a minimum consumption `of time.

An object `of the invention is to provide a method whereby` hydrocarbon oil may be mixed with a clarifying and decolorizing agent and quickly heated to a temperature of. 250D F, or higher, thoroughly commingled and cooled before any substantially oxidizing action can take place.

An object of the invention is to.provi-de a method whereby a more finely comminuted decolorizin and clarifying agent may be used to clarifgy and decolorize a petroleum `hydrocarbon oil than has heretofore been used.

' dized products.`

An object of the invention is to provide a process, for the purpose specified, whereby the oil to be treated and the clarifying and decolorizing agent may be thoroughly intermingled, in any suitable manner, and not depend upon percolation of the o11 through ,the agent.

An objectof the invention is to provide a method 4or process whereby` the treated oil maybe quickly cooled and" filteredl with'- out loss in vcolor The extraction of coloring matter from petroleum oils-is'. generally understood to vbe an adsorbing process, dependent upon time of contact, temperature and. surface lexposed. For example, for a given quantity pass through a 15 to -3(1) mesh sieve.

for the formation o'f Aoxi# and weight the finer the comminutlon of the decolorizing agent, the more surface thereoffwill be exposed to the oil and the more coloring matter will be condensed or adsorbed upon the surface of the decolorizing agent. We have found that` a decolorizing agent, ground so that approximately 97 wlll pass through a 200 mesh sieve or screen, gives the more satisfactory results for our process or method.

Heretofor by usual methods it has been customary to clarify. and improve the color of hydrocarbon oils and particularly lubri- -cating oils by percolating such oil through long pipes or othen 'forms of containers filled with a decolorizing 'and clarifying agent, such ldecolorizing and' clarifying agent comminuted` or finely divided so it will pass through a No. d0 standard mesh sieve but will be retained on a No.` mesh standard sieve; also when fullers earth 'is used for the more viscous oils, the same With our process as hereinafter described and explained we require only approximatelyv 2 hours for the entire ltreatment of' the oil for the purpose `of decolorization and clarification and at the same time lretain the oil with a greater viscosity than where the usual methods or processes 4are used, and also are enabled to perform the clarification and' decolorization lwithv a minimum consumptio'n of decolorizing and clarifying By ourv pfocess also we obtain a superiorv product and substantially free from" oxif dized products. l

By our process inits preferred form, we mix the clarifyingfagent directly with the oi1,'a ndd'o not rdepend upon mere percolaltion of the oil through such agent.

In the preferred embodiment of our invention our method or process in clarifying or improving theV colorfof hydrocarbon oil, consists either in batch treatments or by continuous methods whereby hydrocarbon petroleum or lubricating oil is quickly heated to 250 F. or higher by suitable heating devices, while such 'oil is commingled with a clarifying and decolorizing agent 1n a nely comminuted or pulverized condition and in such quantities as is necessary to obtain the desired color and grade; continuing the commingling or agitating of such hydrocarbon oil and decolorizing agent for such a period of time and at such a temperature as is necessary to obtain the desired extraction of color from such oil; then immediately partially cooling said oil and separating therefrom the decolorizing agent and adsorbed matter, by suitable means; and finally cooling said oil to the desired temperature.

More specifically our invention provides a process whereby hydrocarbon oil may be heated (substantially 250o F. or above) by rapid circulation through heated piper coils or tubes or in any suitable vessel or'chamber, without any part of said oil Lbeing heated beyond `the desired temperature; thoroughly commingling the heated oil and decolorizing and clarifying agent; quickly partially cooling the same .below oxidizing temperature so as to minimize the oxidation; separating the adsorbed decolorizing and clarifying agent and coloring-matter from the oil; and then cooling the oil to the desired temperature.

The preferred embodiment of our invention will be more readily understood by ref-' nerence to the accompanying drawings, illustrating a form of apparatus by which, the same may be performed. The drawing is a diagrammatical formvof an apparatus by which such preferred embodiment of our invention. may be performed.

In the drawings 2 represents a storage tank for the oil to be treated. This tank2 is connected -by a pipe `3 with a treating tank 4. The tank 4 may be entirely open at its topor may be closed by av dome 5 as indicated in the drawings and yprovided i with a vapor outlet 6. The treating tank 4 is connected by means of a pipe 7 to a pump.

8 which discharges through a pipe 9 connected through a valve 10.to a heater 11 and through a valve 12 to a cooler 13. The heater 11 may be of any suitable form of construction but. we prefer to'usea Braun heater which is a ,heater composed of small pipes enclosed in ashell so that the heating medium fills the shell and surrounds the pipes through which the oil is conducted, thus affording a quick means of raising the temperaturey of the oil as it passes quickly to a desired temperature through the pipes or tubes of the heater. This heater 11 is connected bymeans of a pipe 14 to the treating tank l4; As shown in the drawings the heater 411 is also connected by a pipe 15 to the pump 8. 16 represents a valve in the pipe or vline 15 and 17 represents .a valve in the pipe or line 7. 18 represents a storage and feeder bin or hopper 'inwhich the iinely comminuted clarifying or decolorizing agent is provided. From this bin 18 such agent may be introduced into the treating tank 4 in the desired quantities, such 'quantities being regulated by means of a suitable slide or valve 19. 13 represents a cooler which is connected to receiver 21 by a suitable pipe 22. The receiver 21 may be connected to a pump 23 by pipe 24. The epump 23 discharges through a pipe 25 which in turn is connected to a filter press, device or chamber 26 of any ordinary or preferred con-l struction. 27 represents a receiving pan to hold the spent clarifying and decolorizing agent. 28 represents a conveyor to convey the spent clarifying and decolorizing agent to storage or for recovery.

Th ltering device or press 26 is connected to a cooler 29 by a suitable pipe 3() and in turn the cooler 29l is suitably connected to a storage vessel 31 as by a pipe 32. 33 indicates a pipe which leads from the storage' vessel 31 to any other suitable place or means of Storage. When the apparatus is in ther form shown in the drawing the preferred, embodiment of our processv is performed as follows: L v

The treating tank 4 is first filleid with the predetermined amount of hydrocarbon oil to be treated, such oil being drawn through the pipe 3 from the storage tank 2. De-

colorizing and clarifying agent in the I equired amount is then added by suitable operation of the valve 19. This decolorizing agent is thoroughly commingled'with the oil by any suitable means, such for instance, as circulation by means of the pump 8 through 'the heater 11 and back into the tank 4. This circulation is continued until the commingled decolorizing agent and oil is raised to a temperature of approximately 25()o F., depending upon the oil to be treated. After the commingled oil and agent have thus been raised to the desired temper-- temperature for the desired length of timel without subjecting any portion of the oil to a greater temperature than desired, thus minimizing the oxidation which would be promoted by toohigh a temperature and eliminating the danger of any portion of the oil approachingv decomposing. temperature.-

After thus being subjected to the critical temperature for the desired length of time the commingled oil and agent are immediately passed through a suitable cooler, such as the cooler 13 indicated in the drawings. In this cooler the temperature of the com.- mingled oil-and agent is reduced below the temperature of rapid oxidation and discharged into a sultable receiver 21 from which they are drawn by the pump 23 and discharged-through the filtering press or .apparatus 26, where the clarifying agent with the adsorbed coloring matter is separated from the oil and discharged and the clarified and decolorizedv oil is discharged into the cooler 29 from which cooler suh oil may be passed to any suitable storage vessel such as the storage vessel 31.

The passage of the commingledoil andagentthrough the heater 11 gradually but very quickly heats the commingled oil and agent to the desired temperature without heating any vmaterial quantity of the oil beyond this temperature'.

The passage of the treated hydrocarbon oil through the cooler 13 rapidly cools said oil to a .temperature at which no material" oxidation or material lowering in the color of the oil will occur upon standing. This temperature is regulated to conform to the filtering rate of the oil. We prefer to maintain a .slightly higher temperature during the filtration of oils which are of'a heavy viscosity.

While we prefer to use a filter press as the means of separating the clarifying and decolorizing agent from the oil, our process is not necessarily limited theretoas we may use any suitable filtering means, centrifugal machine or other mechanical device by means of which the oil is obtained substantially free from vthe spent clarifying and decolorizing agent.n p

As a clarifying and decolorizing agent we may use animal char, bone ash, fullers earth, certain vclays which have been treated with acid, such as the clays froml the well-known Death Valley, California, deposits, with adsorbent qualities. or any other or preferred lmaterial suitable therefor, and which will clarify and improve the color of the oil.

In utilizing our process for clarifying and decolorizin certain lubricating oils de-v rived from Ca ifornia crude oils, wehave found that by quickly. raising the temperature of the commingledvoil and decolorizing agent to approximately 300 F.' and maintaining same at such temperature for approximately 5 minutes and then quicklycooling the same to approximately 150, we secure the best results. -It lis obvious,

therefore, that our process is not limited specifically to a particular temperature, the range of temperature .to which the commingled oil and agent shall be subjected being from substantially '250 F. to the heat or temperature at which the peak of the reac- 'ton takes place. `Best results are secured by the higher temperatures so long asV the -temperature of the commingled oil and agent is retained below the temperature of the peak of reaction.

We claim:

1. The process of clarifying and improving the color of a hydrocarbon petroleum oil which consists in commingling with the oil a clarifying and decolorizing agent comminuted so that substantially 97% of such agent vwill pass through a200 mesh sieve orvscreen, quickly raising'the commingled oil and agent'to a temperature not substantially less-than 250o F. and below the peak of the decolorizing reaction, maintaining such temperature until the reaction `is effected, immediately cooling such oil and lagent below the temperature of rapid oxidation, and separating the oil and agent with itsladsorbed coloring matter.

2.- The process of clarifying and improving the color of a hydrocarbon petroleum oil which consists in quickly raising such oil commingled with a finely divided clarifying and decolorizing agent to a temperature not substantially less Jthan 250o F. and below the decolorizing point of chemical reaction, maintaining such heat'during the period of such reaction, immediately partially cooling the intermingled oil and agent below the temperature of rapid oxidation7 ico and separating the oil and agent" with its adsorbed coloring matter. Y 3. The process of clarifyingand improving the color ofa'hydrocarbon petroleum which consists in .rapidly raising a commingled hydrocarbon oil .and a clarifying and decolorizing agent to the temperature of the desired decolorizing reaction, maintaining such temperature to effect such reac- Y tion, immediately cooling the intermingled oil and agent to such a temperature as to prevent rapid oxidation, and separating the' a. ent and adsorbed coloring mattei' from the o1 5. The process of clarifying and improving the color of a hydrocarbon petroleum oil which consists in quickly raising such oil commingled with a finely divided clarifying and decolorizing agent to the temperature of the desired decolorizing reaction, maintaining such temperature to effect said reaction, immediately cooling such oil and agent below the temperature of rapid oxidation, ,and separating the oil and agent with its adsorbed coloring matter.

6. The ing the co or of a hydrocar on oil Which consists in rapidly circulating throughl a heating chamber the oil intimately commingled with a finely comminuted clarifying and decolorizing agent to cause the reaction of said oil and agent, immediately cooling the rocess of clarif 'ing and improvsame to substantially prevent oxidation, and separating the oilfrom the agent and. its adsorbed matter.

7." The process of clarifying and decolorizing ahydrocarbon oil which consists in commingling the oil with a decolorizing agent, quickly heating the same to approximately 300 F substantially vmaintaining the same at substantially said temperature to eiect the reaction of said oil and agent, immediately cooling the same below the temperature of rapid oxidation; and separ-v ating the oil from the agent and its adsorbed matter.

Signed at El Segundo, Calif., this 9th day MARVIN L. CHAPPELL. MERLE M. MOORE.

of February,

Witnesses:

G. M. HENDERSON, D. W. FALL.

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