Viscosity reduction of oils by sonic treatment

• US 6,544,411 B2
• Filed: 03/09/2001
• Issued: 04/08/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/09/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: ExxonMobil Research & Engineering Company (Exxon Mobil Corporation)
• Original Assignee: ExxonMobil Research & Engineering Company (Exxon Mobil Corporation)
• Inventors: Varadaraj, Ramesh
• Primary Examiner(s): Griffin, Walter D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen, Tam M.
• Application Number:
  US09/803,734
• Publication Number:
  US 20020125174A1
• Time in Patent Office: 760 Days
• Field of Search: 208/265, 208/266, 208/267, 208/280, 208/281, 208/282, 204/157.15
• US Class Current: 208/265
• CPC Class Codes: C10G 17/02 with acids or acid-containing liquids, e.g. acid sludge
• CPC Class Codes: C10G 17/04 Liquid-liquid treatment forming two immiscible phases
• CPC Class Codes: C10G 31/00 Refining of hydrocarbon oils, in the absence of hydrogen, by methods not otherwise provided for by distillation C10G7/00

Abstract

The invention describes a method for decreasing the viscosity of crude oils and residuum utilizing a combination of acid and sonic treatment.

Claims

1. A process for decreasing the viscosity of crude oils and residuum comprising the steps of:

(a) contacting the crude oil or crude oil residuum with an effective amount of an acid selected from the group consisting of sulfuric acid, hydrochloric acid, perchloric acid, acetic acid, para-toluene sulfonic acid, alkyl toluene sulfonic acids, mono di and trialkyl phosphoric acids, C₃ to C₁₆ organic carboxylic acids, succinic acid , petroleum naphthenic acid and mixtures thereof,

(b) sonicating said crude oil or crude oil residuum and said acid at a temperature and for a time sufficient to decrease the viscosity of said crude oil or residuum.

2. The process of claim 1 wherein said acid is sulfuric acid.

3. The process of claim 1 wherein said acid is petroleum naphthenic acid.

4. The process of claim 1 wherein said step (b) is conducted at temperatures of about 20 to about 70°

C.

5. The process of claim 1 wherein said step (b) is conducted for times of about 0.15 to 6 hours.

6. The process of claim 1 wherein the amount of said acid utilized is about 10 to about 10,000 ppm based on the amount of crude oil or crude oil residuum.

7. The process of claim 1 wherein said sonication is conducted at frequencies of about 15 kHz to about 10 MHz.

8. The process of claim 1 wherein said sonication is conducted at energy of about 25 to about 800 watts/cm².

9. The process of claim 1 wherein said process step (b) further includes an inert gas purge.

10. The process of claim 1 wherein said process step (b) is conducted in an inert environment.