Process for breaking an emulsion

• US 6,214,236 B1
• Filed: 12/22/1999
• Issued: 04/10/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 07/01/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Robert Scalliet
• Original Assignee: Robert Scalliet
• Inventors: Scalliet, Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): Reifsnyder, David A.
• Application Number:
  US09/469,991
• Time in Patent Office: 475 Days
• Field of Search: 210/708, 210/781, 210/787, 175/66, 175/206, 208/13, 208/50, 241/220, 241/224, 516/136
• US Class Current: 210/708
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 17/00 Separation of liquids, not provided for elsewhere, e.g. by thermal diffusion devices for separating or removing fatty or oily substances or similar floating material from water, waste water, or sewage C02F1/40; cleaning or keeping clear the surface of open water from oil or like materials E02B15/04; arrangements for separating lubricants from refrigerants F25B43/02
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 17/0208 by sedimentation
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 17/0211 with baffles
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 17/0217 by centrifugal force
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 17/041 with moving devices
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 17/047 with separation aids
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 21/00 Separation of suspended solid particles from liquids by sedimentation separation of ores or the like by sedimentation B03B5/48 - B03B5/60 ; differential sedimentation B03D3/00; purification of water, waste water, sewage or sludge C02F, e.g. devices for separating or removing fatty or oily substances or similar floating material from water, waste water or sewage C02F1/40
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 21/0039 Settling tanks provided with contact surfaces, e.g. baffles, particles
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 21/01 using flocculating agents for purifying water C02F1/52; for liquid radioactive waste G21F9/10
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 21/26 Separation of sediment aided by centrifugal force or centripetal forcecentrifuges B04B; cyclones B04C
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 21/262 by using a centrifuge
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2221/04 Separation devices for treating liquids from earth drilling, mining
• CPC Class Codes: C10G 33/06 with mechanical means, e.g. by filtration

Abstract

A process for removing even tightly emulsified oil, water and solid emulsions by the application of a shear force sufficient to break the emulsion. In one particular application, a tank bottom sludge produced in the petroleum industry is treated with the shear force of a ball or roller mill until the emulsion is broken. Simultaneous reduction in the particle size of the solid occurs. This process produces commercial grade oil, water and an aqueous slurry of solids devoid of oily compounds. The oil-free solid phase produced thereby is suited for use in a coker quench stream. The demulsification process described may be used to demulsify used oil to recover and recycle the oil constituent of the used oil. The demulsification process of the present invention may be used to demulsify waste products for the later production of a liquid fuel from the oil of the waste product.

Claims

1. A method for recovering oil in an emulsion in spent drilling mud, comprising the steps of:

applying a shear force to the spent drilling mud, the shear force being sufficient to break the emulsion and being applied by a grinding device; and

separating the demulsified oil from the other constituents of the spent drilling mud.

2. The method for recovering oil in an emulsion in spent drilling mud of claim 1, wherein the grinding device is selected from the group consisting of a ball mill, roller mill, hammer mill, disk attrition mill, pebble mill, double cage disintegrator, vertical stirring mill, and vibrator mill.

3. The method for recovering oil in an emulsion in spent drilling mud of claim 1, wherein the grinding device is a ball mill.

4. The method for recovering oil in an emulsion in spent drilling mud of claim 1,

wherein the grinding device is a ball mill; and

wherein the step of separating the demulsified oil from the other constituents of the spent drilling mud includes the step of using a centrifuge to separate physically the constituents of the spent drilling mud.

5. A method for recovering oil in an emulsion in used oil, comprising the steps of:

applying a shear force to the used oil, the shear force being sufficient to break the emulsion and being applied by a grinding device; and

separating the demulsified oil from the other constituents of the used oil.

6. The method for recovering oil in an emulsion in used oil of claim 5, wherein the grinding device is selected from the group consisting of a ball mill, roller mill, hammer mill, disk attrition mill, pebble mill, double cage disintegrator, vertical stirring mill, and vibrator mill.

7. The method for recovering oil in an emulsion in used oil of claim 5, wherein the grinding device is a ball mill.

8. The method for recovering oil in an emulsion in used oil of claim 5,

wherein the grinding device is a ball mill; and

wherein the step of separating the demulsified oil from the other constituents of the used oil includes the step of using a centrifuge to separate physically the constituents of the used oil.

9. A method for treating a waste stream for the production of a liquid fuel, the waste stream including oil in an emulsion, comprising the steps of:

applying a shear force to the waste stream, the shear force being sufficient to break the emulsion in the waste stream and being applied by a grinding device; and

treating the demulsified oil by incorporating solids in a stable suspension to form a liquid fuel.

10. The method for treating a waste stream for the production of a liquid fuel of claim 9, wherein the grinding device is selected from the group consisting of a ball mill, roller mill, hammer mill, disk attrition mill, pebble mill, double cage disintegrator, vertical stirring mill, and vibrator mill.

11. The method for treating a waste stream for the production of a liquid fuel of claim 9, wherein the grinding device is a ball mill.