MICROWAVE-BASED RECOVERY OF HYDROCARBONS AND FOSSIL FUELS

• US 20070131591A1
• Filed: 12/14/2006
• Published: 06/14/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/14/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Greentech Energy Solutions, Ltd., Mobilestream Oil, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Mobilestream Oil, Inc.
• Inventors: Pringle, Frank
• Granted Patent: US 7,629,497 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 208/402
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/1815 using microwaves
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 19/126 Microwaves
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 19/1818 in series
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 19/1825 in parallel
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 19/20 in the form of helices, e.g. screw reactors
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00006 Large-scale industrial plants
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/0875 Gas
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/0877 Liquid
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/0879 Solid
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/0884 Gas-liquid
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/0886 Gas-solid
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/089 Liquid-solid
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/1239 Means for feeding and evacuation
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/1275 Controlling the microwave irradiation variables
• CPC Class Codes: C10G 1/00 Production of liquid hydrocarbon mixtures from oil-shale, oil-sand, or non-melting solid carbonaceous or similar materials, e.g. wood, coal mechanical winning of oil from oil-shales, oil-sand, or the like B03B
• CPC Class Codes: C10G 1/04 by extraction
• CPC Class Codes: C10G 1/10 from rubber or rubber waste
• CPC Class Codes: C10G 15/08 by electric means or by electromagnetic or mechanical vibrations
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 6/802 for heating fluids methods of heating fluids in conventional microwave ovens H05B6/687

Abstract

The present invention provides methods for decomposing and extracting compositions for the recovery of petroleum-based materials from composites comprising those petroleum-based materials, comprising subjecting the compositions and/or composites to microwave radiation, wherein the microwave radiation is in the range of from about 4 GHz to about 18 GHz. The present invention also provides for products produced by the methods of the present invention and for apparatuses used to perform the methods of the present invention.

Claims

1. A method for decomposing a composition comprising a petroleum-based material, comprising:

subjecting said composition to microwave radiation for a time sufficient to at least partially decompose said composition,

wherein said microwave radiation comprises at least one frequency component in the range of from about 4 GHz to about 18 GHz.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said microwave radiation comprises one or more pre-selected microwave radiation frequencies.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said one or more pre-selected microwave radiation frequencies is in the range of from about 4.0 and about 7.2 GHz.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein said one or more pre-selected microwave radiation frequencies is in the range of from about 4.0 and about 6.0 GHz.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said microwave radiation comprises a sweeping range of microwave radiation frequencies.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the sweeping range of microwave radiation frequencies encompasses one or more pre-selected microwave radiation frequencies.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the range of microwave radiation frequencies is about ±

2 GHz of the pre-selected microwave radiation frequency.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein the range of microwave radiation frequencies comprises a bandwidth of about 4 GHz.

9. The method of claim 5, wherein the range of frequencies of said radiation is in the C-Band frequency range.

10. The method of claim 5, wherein the range of frequencies of said radiation is in the X-Band frequency range.

11. The method of claim 5, wherein the frequencies of said radiation is in the range of from about 5.8 GHz to about 7.0 GHz.

12. The method of claim 5, wherein the frequencies of said radiation is in the range of from about 7.9 GHz to about 8.7 GHz.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein said composition is exposed to less than about 12% oxygen.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein said composition is exposed to less than about 8% oxygen.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising recovering decomposed petroleum-based material at a pressure less than one atmosphere.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein said composition is exposed to an inert gas atmosphere.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein said microwave radiation comprises at least one frequency component in the range of from 4.0 GHz to about 12 GHz.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein said composition is exposed to less than atmospheric pressure.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein said composition is exposed to a pressure of less than about 40 Torr.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein said composition is exposed to a pressure of less than 20 Torr.

21. The method of claim 1, wherein said composition is exposed to a pressure of less than 5 Torr.

22. The method of claim 1, wherein the temperature of said composition does not exceed about 700°

F.

23. The method of claim 1, wherein the temperature of said composition does not exceed about 500°

F.

24. The method of claim 1, wherein the temperature of said composition does not exceed about 465°

F.

25. The method of claim 1, wherein said composition is derived from a tire.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein said composition is decomposed to form at least one of oil, gas, steel, sulfur, and carbon black.

27. The method of claim 1, wherein said composition comprises plastic.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein said plastic comprises ethylene (co)polymer, propylene (co)polymer, styrene (co)polymer, butadiene (co)polymer, polyvinyl chloride, polyvinyl acetate, polycarbonate, polyethylene terephthalate, (meth)acrylic (co)polymer, or a mixture thereof.

29. The method of claim 27, wherein said composition is decomposed to form at least one monomer.

43. The method of claim 1, further comprising recovering extracted petroleum-based material at a pressure less than one atmosphere.

86. Polymer produced by the method of claim 25.

87. Carbon black produced by the method of claim 25.

88. Steel produced by the method of claim 25.

89. Oil produced by the method of claim 25.

90. Gas produced by the method of claim 25.

91. A monomer produced by the method of claim 27.

92. A petroleum-based material produced by the method of claim 27.

30. A method for extracting a petroleum-based material from a composition comprising said petroleum-based material, comprising:

subjecting said composition to microwave radiation for a time sufficient to extract said petroleum-based material,

wherein said microwave radiation comprises at least one frequency component in the range of from about 4 GHz to about 18 GHz.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein said microwave radiation comprises one or more pre-selected microwave radiation frequencies.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein said one or more pre-selected microwave radiation frequencies is in the range of from about 7.9 and about 8.7 GHz.

33. The method of claim 30, wherein said microwave radiation is a sweeping range of microwave radiation frequencies.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein the sweeping range of microwave radiation frequencies encompasses one or more pre-selected microwave radiation frequencies.

35. The method of claim 34, wherein the range of microwave radiation frequencies is about ±

2 GHz of the pre-selected microwave radiation frequency.

36. The method of claim 33, wherein the range of microwave radiation frequencies comprises a bandwidth of about 4 GHz.

37. The method of claim 33, wherein the range of frequencies of said radiation is in the C-Band frequency range.

38. The method of claim 33, wherein the range of frequencies of said radiation is in the X-Band frequency range.

39. The method of claim 33, wherein the range of frequencies of said radiation is in the range of from about 5.8 GHz to about 7.0 GHz.

40. The method of claim 33, wherein the range of frequencies of said radiation is in the range of from about 7.9 GHz to about 8.7 GHz.

41. The method of claim 30, wherein said composite is exposed to less than about 12% oxygen.

42. The method of claim 30, wherein said composite is exposed to less than about 8% oxygen.

44. The method of claim 30, wherein said composite is exposed to an inert gas atmosphere.

45. The method of claim 30 wherein said microwave radiation comprises at least one frequency component in the range of from about 4 GHz to about 12 GHz.

46. The method of claim 30, wherein said composite is exposed to less than atmospheric pressure.

47. The method of claim 30, wherein said composite is exposed to a pressure of less than about 40 Torr.

48. The method of claim 30, wherein said composite is exposed to a pressure of less than 20 Torr.

49. The method of claim 30, wherein said composite is exposed to a pressure of less than 5 Torr.

50. The method of claim 30, wherein said composite is heated to the boiling point temperature of said petroleum-based material.

51. The method of claim 30, further comprising collecting said petroleum-based material in at least one collection vessel.

52. The method of claim 30, wherein said composite comprises tar sands or oil sands.

53. The method of claim 30, wherein said composite comprises oil shale.

54. The method of claim 30, wherein said composite comprises slurry oil.

55. The method of claim 30, wherein said composite comprises oil cuttings.

56. The method of claim 30, wherein said composite comprises a mixture of at least two of oils sands, oil shale, slurry oil, and oil cuttings.

93. Oil produced by the method of claim 52.

94. Oil produced by the method of claim 53.

95. Oil produced by the method of claim 54.

96. Oil produced by the method of claim 55.

97. Oil produced by the method of claim 56.

98. The method of claim 30, further comprising transporting said extracted petroleum-based product at a pressure less than one atmosphere to at least one container to collect the extracted petroleum-based material.

99. The method of claim 30, further comprising transporting said extracted petroleum-based product at a pressure less than one atmosphere, and refining the petroleum-based product.

100. The method of claim 30, wherein the composition comprises less than 1 percent by weight hydrocarbons based on weight composition after the petroleum-based product has been extracted.

57. An apparatus for decomposing a composition comprising a petroleum-based material, comprising:

a microwave radiation generator, wherein said generator is capable of applying microwave radiation characterized as having at least one frequency component in the range of from about 4 GHz to about 18 GHz; and

at least one container to collect decomposed components from said composition.

58. The apparatus of claim 57, wherein the microwave radiation generator is capable of applying a microwave radiation frequency of between about 4.0 and about 12.0 GHz.

59. The apparatus of claim 58, wherein the microwave radiation generator is capable of applying a microwave radiation frequency of between about 4.0 and about 7.2 GHz.

60. The apparatus of claim 58, wherein the microwave radiation generator is capable of applying a microwave radiation frequency of between about 4.0 and about 6.0 GHz.

61. The apparatus of claim 57, wherein the microwave radiation generator is capable of applying a sweeping range of microwave radiation frequencies of between about 4.0 and about 12.0 GHz.

62. The apparatus of claim 61 wherein the range of frequencies of said radiation is in the C-Band frequency range.

63. The apparatus of claim 61, wherein the range of frequencies of said radiation is in the X-Band frequency range.

64. The apparatus of claim 61, wherein the range of frequencies of said radiation is in the range of from about 5.8 GHz to about 7.0 GHz.

65. The apparatus of claim 61, wherein the frequency of said radiation is in the range of from about 7.9 GHz to about 8.7 GHz.

66. The apparatus of claim 57, further comprising at least one chamber for holding said composition.

67. The apparatus of claim 57, wherein said chamber is closed to the outside atmosphere.

68. The apparatus of claim 57, wherein said chamber is capable of operating at an internal pressure of less than 40 Torr.

69. The apparatus of claim 57, wherein said chamber is capable of operating at an internal pressure of less than about 20 Torr.

70. The apparatus of claim 57, wherein said chamber is capable of operating at an internal pressure of less than about 5 Torr.

71. The apparatus of claim 57, wherein said generator is capable of applying microwave radiation characterized as having at least one frequency component in the range of from about 4 GHz to about 12 GHz.

72. An apparatus for extracting a petroleum-based material from a composite comprising said petroleum-based material, comprising:

a microwave radiation generator, wherein said generator is capable of applying microwave radiation characterized as having at least one frequency component in the range of from about 4 GHz to about 18 GHz; and

at least one container to collect said extracted petroleum-based material.

73. The apparatus of claim 72, wherein the microwave radiation generator is capable of applying a microwave radiation frequency of between about 4.0 and about 12.0 GHz.

74. The apparatus of claim 73, wherein the microwave radiation generator is capable of applying a microwave radiation frequency of between about 7.9 and about 8.7 GHz.

75. The apparatus of claim 72, wherein the microwave radiation generator is capable of applying a sweeping range of microwave radiation frequencies of between about 4.0 and about 12.0 GHz.

76. The apparatus of claim 75, wherein the range of frequencies of said radiation is in the C-Band frequency range.

77. The apparatus of claim 75, wherein the range of frequencies of said radiation is in the X-Band frequency range.

78. The apparatus of claim 75, wherein the range of frequencies of said radiation is in the range of from about 5.8 GHz to about 7.0 GHz.

79. The apparatus of claim 75, wherein the frequency of said radiation is in the range of from about 7.9 GHz to about 8.7 GHz.

80. The apparatus of claim 72, further comprising at least one chamber for holding said composition.

81. The apparatus of claim 72, wherein said chamber is closed to the outside atmosphere.

82. The apparatus of claim 72, wherein said chamber is capable of operating at an internal pressure of less than about 40 Torr.

83. The apparatus of claim 72, wherein said chamber is capable of operating at an internal pressure of less than about 20 Torr.

84. The apparatus of claim 72, wherein said chamber is capable of operating at an internal pressure of less than about 5 Torr.

85. The apparatus of claim 72, further comprising a temperature detector for said composite.