US1951205A

US1951205A - Decolorized refined petroleum product and method of producing same and decolorizing agent therefor

Info

Publication number: US1951205A
Application number: US165546A
Authority: US
Inventors: James B Rather; Orland M Reiff; Jr Leslie C Beard
Original assignee: Socony Vacuum Oil Co Inc
Current assignee: ExxonMobil Oil Corp
Priority date: 1927-02-03
Filing date: 1927-02-03
Publication date: 1934-03-13
Anticipated expiration: 1951-03-13

Description

arch 13, 1934.

J. a. RATHER ET AL 5 DECOLORIZED REFINED PETROLEUM PRODUCT AND METHOD OF PRODUCING SAME AND DECOLORIZING AGENT THEREFOR Filed Feb. 5, 1927 ang x14, ATTORNEY Patented Mar. 13, 1934 UNITED STATES DECOLORIZED REFINED P E T R 0 L E U M PRODUCT AND METHOD OF PRODUCING SAME AND DECOLORIZING AGENT THEREFOR James B. Rather, Brooklyn, Orland M. Reifl, Jackson Heights, and Leslie 0. Beard, Jr., Brooklyn, N. Y., assignors to Socony-Vacuum Corporation, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application February 3,

12 Claims.

This invention relates to decolorized refined petroleum products and method of producing same, and decolorizing agents therefor, and more particularly relates to the decolorization of refined petroleum products, notably kerosene and gasoline, which have developed discoloration or pigmentation during storage.

It is well known that refined petroleum products, especially kerosene and gasoline, on being stored are apt to develop discoloration which renders the products objectionable to the trade.

The principal object of this invention is to provide a method of depriving refined petroleum products of objectionable color or pigmentation which may have developed during storage, and to obtain, as a result of the treatment, products having the characteristics of being free of discoloration and of not developing objectionable color or pigmentation thereafter; and to obtain products of the character referred to which are not impaired as to their valuable and desirable qualities.

Another object of this invention is to provide a method of the character referred to, which does not increase materially the cost of production of the improved products either in small amounts or on a large commercial scale.

A further object of this invention is to provide a decolorizing agent or agents (for use singly or in combination with each other) which may be used satisfactorily and inexpensively to deprive refined petroleum products of discoloration developed in storage.

A further object of this invention is to provide a simple and inexpensive apparatus for practicing the method and for producing the products referred to, quickly and inexpensively, particularly on a large commercial scale.

Other objects of this invention will be in part obvious and in part pointed out hereinafter.

In accordance with this invention, the discolored refined petroleum product is deprived of the objectionable color by treating the discolored product with a suitable decolorizing agent. As examples of suitable agents for this purpose, the following substances may be mentionedz-The dehydroxy benzenes comprising hydroquinone, pyrocatechin (catechol), resorcinol, and, in general aromatic or aliphatic dihydroxy compounds with or without substituted groups (methyl, ethyl, etc; chlorine, etc.). These agents may be used singly or in combination with each other.

The treatment is carried out by mixing the agent or agents thoroughly in the discolored 1927, Serial No. 165,546

product. It may be that the agent combines with the pigmentation. In any event, the discoloration disappears. If the agent is a solid, it is preferably first dissolved in a suitable solvent which is miscible in the product, or the product may be percolated through a mass of the solid agent. For instance, when hydroquinone is used, it may be first dissolved in isopropyl or some aliphatic alcohol. When a solution of this character is mixed with the discolored gasoline or kerosene, the agent becomes dispersed in the product in an exceedingly fine condition, and its subsequent solution in the product takes place much more rapidly than otherwise. Only a very minute amount of agent is required to permanently decolorize a large quantity of discolored product. It has been found that in general one part by weight of agent will permanently decolorize between 50,000 to 150,000 parts of discolored product, the proportions varying somewhat in accordance with the degree and nature of the pigmentation to be attacked. So long as the decolorizing agent is thoroughly mixed with the discolored product, it is not vital how the mixing is accomplished, nor at what temperature the treatment is carried out.

For the purpose of illustrating one possible type of apparatus suitable for carrying out the treatment, attention is hereby directed to the accompanying drawing, forming a part of this application, which shows, in plan view, an apparatus, embodying this invention, and whereby the method may be practiced.

Referring to the drawing, the apparatus includes a centrifugal pump, designated in general at 1, having an inlet 2 and an outlet 3. A tank 4 for holding the decolorizing agent, in liquid form or in solution, is fitted with a glass gauge 5 for noting the rate of addition of the treating liquid to the oil under treatment. The agent drops through a pipe 6 having a needle valve 7 whereby the rate of flow of the agent may be controlled, and past a sight feed 8. The agent enters the pump 1 through a nozzle orifice indicated at 9. Air pressure may be supplied through pipe 10 to facilitate the feeding of treating liquid.

The discolored petroleum distillate product to be treated enters the centrifugal pump 1 through the'pipe 2 and is continuously fed with the treating solution at the point 9. The treating solution and the product under treatment are intimately and completely mixed by the impellers of the centrifugal pump, and the treated and in such increments that the ratio a dry tank until it has been decolorized by the action thereonof the incorporated treating agent. 7

If it is desired to decolorize the gasoline or kerosene by percolation through a body of solid treating agent, this can be accomplished by forcing the product through, a body of solid treating agent contained in a tube of suitable dimensions; the agent perferably being held in place in the tube by wire screens. In order to reduce the resistance to fiow ofiered by such a body of treating agent, it is advisable to mix the agent with such as 30-60 mesh filter clay.

For the specific practice of this invention in one manner to which we are partial, we make a 10% solution of hydroquinone in iso-propyl alcohol and inject a measured quantity of this solution into tank 4. The addition of the hydroquinone solution to the product under agitation in pump-.1 is made gradually from the tank 4,

hydroquinone solution to the amount of product that is being treated shall preferably be in'a ratio predetermined by test. Usually one part of solution to 10,000 parts of product is adequate, or expressed in terms of the hydroquinone, one part of hydroquinone to 100,000 parts-of product. The product after treatment flows to dry tank where it is allowed to stand until sufficient time has elapsed for the reaction between the hydroquinone and pigmentation to be completed. At ordinary temperatures 24 hours usually sufiices for this reaction to come to completion. At more elevated temperatures a shorter time will be required. During this treatment the product should be kept dry and the treated product should be kept out of contact with water, since the solubility of hydroquinone in water is so much higher than it is in petroleum distillate products of the kind referred to herein, that the water may tend to dissolve out the hydroquinone, and result in the return of some discoloration.

It will be apparent that the method of decolorization set forth above is simple and easy to practice, and, because of the small amounts of materials required, is quite cheap. In addition, petroleum products decolorized by this method are invariablymore stable than originallyfdue to the continued presence of the treating agent which functions as a negative oxidation catalyst. The products are novel in that they have the characteristic of not developing color on being stored, and thus are never objectionable to the trade on account of developing discoloration. The simplicity of the apparatus requires no comment. i

As many changes could be made in the process described, and as many apparently widely different'embodiments of this invention could be made without departing from the scope thereof, it is understood that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawing shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Our copending application, serial No. 315,914, filed October 29, 1928, improvements in distillate petroleum products and method of treating same, includes disclosure of the subject matter of this application and claims certain of the subject matter as to which claims have not been maintained herein.

some granular inert material,

-or kerosene which has become of the,

a clean 'a low-boiling point 1,961,205 011 is discharged through pipe 3 to be stored in What .we claim is:

. 1.. The process of decolorizing a refined petroleum distillate product of the class ofgaso line or kerosene which has become discolored by internal pigmentation, which consistsof adding a minute quantity of a dihydroxybenz'ene to the said product.

2.- The'process of decolorizing a refined petroleum distillate productof the class of gasoline or kerosene which has become discolored by internal pigmentation, which consists of adding hydroquinone to the said product.

3. The process of decolorizing a refined petroleum distillate product of the class of gasoline or kerosene which has become discolored by internal -pigmentation, which includes adding to the said product a small amountof hydroquinone in -solution in an aliphatic alcohol.

4. The process of decolorizing a refined petroleum distillate product of the class of gasoline discolored by internal pigmentation, which includes adding hydroquinone, a little at a time, to the said product under violent agitation.

5'. The method of'treating light colored distillate petroleum products of the class of gasoline or kerosene which normally tend to become discolored during storage and which have becomediscolored, which comprises adding to said discolored product. a dihydroxy benzene in quantity sufiicient to effect substantial decolorization of said product and substantially to retard subsequent discoloration of said product, 6. The method of decolorizing and stabilizing petroleum distillate product of the class of gasolineor kerosene that has become discolored during storage, which comprises adding to the said discolored product a dihydroxy benzene in the proportion of 1 part 'of the dihydroxy benzene to from 50,000 to 150,000 parts of the product, sufficient to effect substantial decolorization of the product and substantially to delay subsequent objectionable "color formation.

7. The method of treating light colored distillate petroleum products .of the class of gasoline or kerosene which normally tend to become discolored during storage and which have become discolored, which comprises adding to said discolored product hydroquinone in quantity sufficient to efiect substantial decolorization of said product andsubstantially to retard subsequent discoloration of said product.

8. The method of decolorizing and stabilizing a low boiling point petroleum distillate product of the class of gasoline or kerosene that has become discolored during storage, which comprises adding to the said discolored product hydroquinone in the proportion of 1 part hydroquinone to form 50,000 to 150,000 parts of the product, sufficient to efiect substantial decoloricome discolored, which comprises adding to said 4 discolored product pyrocatechin in quantity sufficient to efiect substantial decolorization of said product and substantially to retard subsequent discoloration of said product.

10. The method of decolorizing and stabilizing a low boiling point petroleum distillate product of the class of gasoline or kerosene that has 1 come discolored, which comprises adding to said discolored product resorcinol in quantity sufiicient to effect substantial decolorization of said product and substantially to retard subsequent discoloration of said product.

12. The method of decolorizing and stabilizing a low boiling point petroleum distillate product of the class of gasoline or kerosene that has become discolored during storage, which comprises adding to the said discolored product resorcinol in the proportion of 1 part of resorcinol to from 50,000 to 150,000 parts of the product, sufiicient to efiect substantial decolorization of the product and substantially to delay subsequent objectionable color formation.

J JAMES B. RATHER.

ORLAND M. REIFF'. LESLIE C. BEARD, JR.