US1670107A - Deemulsifying hydrocarbons - Google Patents

Description

Patented May 15, 1928.

GUSTAV EGLOFF, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS,

PATENT OFFICE. f

ASSIGNOB TO UNIVERSAL OIL PRODUCTS COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF SOUTH DAKOTA.

DEEMULSIFYING HYDROCARBONfi Application filed January 7, 1921, Serial 2N0. 435,578. Renewed February 4, 1927.

This invention relates to improvements in de-emulsifying hydrocarbon oils which are of a particularly stable character and do not lend themselves readily to dehydration under heat and pressure due to their stability. I have found that by adding an electrolyte to the oil, that the separation of water in the emulsified form is readily accomplished under heat and pressure.

Among the objects of the invention are not alone to dehydrate the emulsified oil but also to crack said emulsified oil under heat and pressure in the presence of an electrolyte; to provide a process of dehydrating hydrocarbon oil in the presence of an added electrolyte such as caustic soda under heat and pressure, simultaneously converting a substantial portion of the hydrocarbon oil content of the emulsion into light. oils suitable for combustion in an internal explosive motor; to provide a process of de-emulsifying hydrocarbon oils in the presence of an electrolyte to substantially free said emulsion of water; to provide a process of dehydrating emulsion oils by means of adding an electrolyte to said emulsion, circulating the electrolyte treated emulsion or emulsoid while distilling under vacuum so as to preserve the hydrocarbons present in the emulsoid without material change in the compo sition of the hydocarbons present, and in general to provide improvements of the character referred to.

The single figure in the drawing is a side elevational view, in detail, of the apparatus for carrying out my process.

Referring in detail vto the drawing, 1 designates a Dutch oven part of a furnace 2, having stack 3 attached thereto. 4 represents the burner in the dutch oven 1. resents a series of vertical tubes expanded into drums 6 and 7. 8 represents a conduit to condenser coil 9 set in condenser box 10, pipe 8 having a throttle valve 11, connected with condenser coil 9. Valve 12 is interposed in the pipe connect-ion 13 attached to receiver 14, having pressure gauge 15 and uncondensable gas pipe 16 with control valve 17. Pipe 18 represents drawofi' pipe connection to receiver 14 and control valve 19, connecting with the run down tank (not shown). Pressure gauge 20 in conduit 8 records the pressure at that point. The vertical tube still 21 has manhole plate 22,

5 rep liquid drawofl. pipe 23 having control valve 24. Interposed between drums 6 and 7 is a circulating pump 25 and discharge control valve 26. The raw oil control is maintained by means of valve 27 and the electrolyte controlled by means of valve 28. 29 is a spray device for the raw oil and circulating material A typical mode of operatingthis process when pressure is used, is to charge the still by means of pump 25, maintaining the pressure over the entire system or a differential pressure may be maintained between valves 11, 12 and 19. Simultaneously with feeding in raw oil, a given quantity of electrolyte, which may be composed of caustic soda, is passed in a concentration for which the emulsified oil calls. While vapors are passed through conduit .8, the circulatory pump is in action, de-emulsifying, and depending upon the pressure, cracking simultaneously takes place. The distillate which is condensed in coil 9 passed on to receiver 14 and passes on to rundown tank"'(not shown), by means of valve 19. At the same time, residuum material is drawn off through pipe 23. A typical run on this process operating under a pressure of say, 140

pounds and a temperature of 760 degrees F. in the liquid, will treat approximately 40% more emulsoid in the presence of an electrolyte such as caustic soda than when saidelectrolyte was not added, converting the oil content of the emulsoid into 45% of marketable light oil.

The apparatus may, instead of being used for operating the pressure process, be used to operate a vacuum process, in which case a vacuum of from 15" to 25 may be maintained on the entire system, the oil heated to considerably less temperature, as for example, 200 to 350 degrees F., being the temperature used. By using the vacuum, the hydrocarbons can be retained in their original form and any substantial or material decomposition or cracking avoided, when 1. A process of treating emulsified oils,

consisting in distilling the oil under regulated temperatures, and superatmospheric 'pressure, and simultaneously injecting into the oil in the still, in the vapor space thereof,

5 caustic soda for the purpose of dehydrating t e oil.

2. A process of treating emulsified mineral oils, consisting in distilling the oil while under a, superatmospheric pressure, in causing the oil to pass through vertical tubes during such distillation, and in introducing to a'vapor space above said tubes during such distillation an electrolyte consisting of caustic soda.

GUSTAV EGLOFF.

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