Purification of an oil-containing liquid using a surface treated permeable inorganic membrane
First Claim
1. A process for purifying an oil-containing liquid to remove aqueous and solid impurities which comprises:
- (a) maintaining an oil-containing liquid within a temperature range of from just above the freezing point of the liquid to just below its boiling point;
(b) passing said liquid through a permeable inorganic membrane comprising a metal selected from the group consisting of Sc, Y, Ti, Zr, Hf, V, Nb, Ta, Cr, Mo, W, Mn, Tc, Re, Fe, Ru, Os, Co, Rh, Ir, Ni, Pd, Pt, Cu, Ag, Au, Zn, Cd, Hg, B, Al, Ga, In, Tl, Ge, Sn, Pb, As, Sb, Bi, elements in the lanthanide series and the actinide series, mixtures thereof, mixtures of Groups IIa (Be, Mg, Ca, Sr and Ba) and VIb (Se and Te), and a ceramic selected from the group consisting of an oxide, sulfide, boride, carbide, or nitride of one or more of said metals which has been previously treated by contacting the membrane with an organic reactant selected from the group consisting of a phosphonic acid, a phosphinic acid, a monocarboxylic acid, a dicarboxylic acid, a boronic acid, a phosphoric acid ester and a precursor which decomposes upon contact with said inorganic membrane to from one of said organic reactants to form a layer of said organic reactant thereon; and
(c) maintaining a pressure on said oil-containing liquid within a range of form about 2 psig to about 1200 psig as said liquid passes through said treated inorganic membrane.
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Abstract
A process is described for purifying an oil-containing liquid to remove aqueous and solid impurities which comprises passing said liquid through a permeable inorganic membrane previously treated by contacting the membrane with an organic reactant selected from the group consisting of a phosphonic acid, a phosphinic acid, a monocarboxylic acid, a dicarboxylic acid, a boronic acid, a phosphoric acid ester and a precursor which decomposes upon contact with said inorganic membrane to form one of said organic reactants whereby the treated membrane is capable of separating aqueous and solid impurities from hydrocarbons in the oil-containing liquid.
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Citations
31 Claims
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1. A process for purifying an oil-containing liquid to remove aqueous and solid impurities which comprises:
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(a) maintaining an oil-containing liquid within a temperature range of from just above the freezing point of the liquid to just below its boiling point; (b) passing said liquid through a permeable inorganic membrane comprising a metal selected from the group consisting of Sc, Y, Ti, Zr, Hf, V, Nb, Ta, Cr, Mo, W, Mn, Tc, Re, Fe, Ru, Os, Co, Rh, Ir, Ni, Pd, Pt, Cu, Ag, Au, Zn, Cd, Hg, B, Al, Ga, In, Tl, Ge, Sn, Pb, As, Sb, Bi, elements in the lanthanide series and the actinide series, mixtures thereof, mixtures of Groups IIa (Be, Mg, Ca, Sr and Ba) and VIb (Se and Te), and a ceramic selected from the group consisting of an oxide, sulfide, boride, carbide, or nitride of one or more of said metals which has been previously treated by contacting the membrane with an organic reactant selected from the group consisting of a phosphonic acid, a phosphinic acid, a monocarboxylic acid, a dicarboxylic acid, a boronic acid, a phosphoric acid ester and a precursor which decomposes upon contact with said inorganic membrane to from one of said organic reactants to form a layer of said organic reactant thereon; and (c) maintaining a pressure on said oil-containing liquid within a range of form about 2 psig to about 1200 psig as said liquid passes through said treated inorganic membrane. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
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28. A process for purifying an oil-containing liquid to remove aqueous and solid impurities which comprises:
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(a) heating said oil-containing liquid to a temperature range of from about 0°
C. to about 500°
C. and maintaining said liquid within said temperature range during said process;(b) passing said liquid through an inorganic membrane comprising aluminum oxide or zirconium oxide, said membrane having been previously treated by contact with an organic reactant selected from the group consisting of a phosphonic acid, a phosphinic acid, a monocarboxylic acid, a dicarboxylic acid, a boronic acid, a phosphoric acid ester, and a precursor which decomposes upon contact with said inorganic membrane to form one of said organic reactants to form a monomolecular layer of said organic reactant thereon whereby said treated inorganic membrane has a pore size, after treatment, within a range of from about 5 Å
to about 1000 microns; and(c) maintaining a pressure on said oil-containing liquid within a range of from about 2 psig to about 1200 psig as said liquid passes through said treated inorganic membrane. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30)
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31. A process for purifying an oil-containing liquid to remove aqueous and solid impurities which comprises:
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(a) heating said oil-containing liquid to a temperature range of from about 0°
C. to about 500°
C. and maintaining said liquid within said temperature range during said process;(b) passing said liquid through a permeable inorganic membrane comprising a metal selected from the group consisting of Sc, Y, Ti, Zr, Hf, V, Nb, Ta, Cr, Mo, W, Mn, Tc, Re, Fe, Ru, Os, Co, Rh, Ir, Ni, Pd, Pt, Cu, Ag, Au, Zn, Cd, Hg, B, Al, Ga, In, Tl, Ge, Sn, Pb, As, Sb, Bi, elements in the lanthanide series and the actinide series, mixtures thereof, mixtures of Groups IIa (Be, Mg, Ca, Sr and Ba) and VIb (Se and Te), and a ceramic selected from the group consisting of an oxide, sulfide, boride, carbide, or nitride of one or more of said metals, said membrane having been previously treated by contact with an organic reactant selected from the group consisting of a phosphonic acid, a phosphinic acid, a monocarboxylic acid, a dicarboxylic acid, a boronic acid, a phosphoric acid ester and a precursor which decomposes upon contact with said inorganic membrane to form a monomolecular layer of said organic reactant thereon, said inorganic membrane having a pore size of about 5 Å
to 1000 microns;(c) maintaining a pressure on said oil-containing liquid within a range of from about 2 psig to about 1200 psig as said liquid passes through said treated inorganic membrane; (d) interrupting said passing of said oil-containing liquid through said treated membrane; and (e) removing solids from said membrane.
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Specification