Patents by Inventor Gabriela Alvarez Jurgenson

Gabriela Alvarez Jurgenson has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 9296942
    Abstract: Compositions and methods of synthesis of anionic surfactants by alkoxylation of a Guerbet alcohol (GA) having 12 to 36 carbon atoms using butylene oxide, and optionally propylene oxide and/or ethylene oxide followed by the incorporation of a terminal anionic group are described herein. The GA of the present invention is made by a facile and inexpensive method that involves high temperature base catalyzed dimerization of alcohols with 6 to 18 carbon atoms. The large hydrophobe ether surfactants of the present invention find uses in enhanced oil recovery (EOR) applications where it is used for solubilization and mobilization of oil and for environmental cleanup. Further, the hydrophobe alkoxylated GA without anionic terminal group can be used as an ultra-high molecular weight non-ionic surfactant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2016
    Assignees: BOARD OF REGENTS, THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS SYSTEM, BASF SE
    Inventors: Upali P. Weerasooriya, Gary A. Pope, Christian Bittner, Gunter Oetter, Jack F. Tinsley, Christian Spindler, Gabriela Alvarez Jurgenson, Sophie Vogel
  • Patent number: 9145509
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for mineral oil extraction by means of Winsor type III microemulsion flooding, in which an aqueous surfactant formulation comprising at least three ionic surfactants which are different with regard to the alkyl moiety (R1)(R2)—CH—CH2— and are of the general formula (R1)(R2)—CH—CH2—O-(D)n-(B)m-(A)l-XYa?a/bMb+ is injected through injection boreholes into a mineral oil deposit, and crude oil is withdrawn from the deposit through production boreholes. The invention further relates to surfactant formulations of ionic surfactants of the general formula.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 29, 2015
    Assignee: BASF SE
    Inventors: Christian Bittner, Günter Oetter, Jack Tinsley, Christian Spindler, Gabriela Alvarez Jürgenson, Sophie Vogel, Petra Neumann, Veronika Wloka, Martin Bock
  • Patent number: 8853136
    Abstract: A process for mineral oil production, especially Winsor type III microemulsion flooding, in which an aqueous surfactant formulation which comprises at least one alkylpolyalkoxysulfate comprising propoxy groups, and at least one further surfactant differing therefrom is used, is forced through injection wells into a mineral oil deposit and crude oil is removed from the deposit through production wells. The alkylpolyalkoxysulfate comprising propoxy groups is prepared in this case by sulfating an alkoxylated alcohol, the alkoxylated alcohol being prepared by alkoxylating an alcohol using double metal cyanide catalysts or double hydroxide clays.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 7, 2014
    Assignee: BASF SE
    Inventors: Christian Bittner, Günter Oetter, Jack Tinsley, Christian Spindler, Gabriela Alvarez Jürgenson, Sophie Vogel
  • Patent number: 8841241
    Abstract: Compositions and methods of synthesis of anionic surfactants by alkoxylation of a Guerbet alcohol (GA) having 12 to 36 carbon atoms using butylene oxide, and optionally propylene oxide and/or ethylene oxide followed by the incorporation of a terminal anionic group are described herein. The GA of the present invention is made by a facile and inexpensive method that involves high temperature base catalyzed dimerization of alcohols with 6 to 18 carbon atoms. The large hydrophobe ether surfactants of the present invention find uses in enhanced oil recovery (EOR) applications where it is used for solubilization and mobilization of oil and for environmental cleanup. Further, the hydrophobe alkoxylated GA without anionic terminal group can be used as an ultra-high molecular weight non-ionic surfactant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 23, 2014
    Assignees: Board of Regents, The University of Texas System, BASF SE
    Inventors: Upali P. Weerasooriya, Gary A. Pope, Christian Bittner, Guenter Oetter, Jack F. Tinsley, Christian Spindler, Gabriela Alvarez-Jurgenson, Sophie Maitro-Vogel
  • Publication number: 20140182851
    Abstract: Compositions and methods of synthesis of anionic surfactants by alkoxylation of a Guerbet alcohol (GA) having 12 to 36 carbon atoms using butylene oxide, and optionally propylene oxide and/or ethylene oxide followed by the incorporation of a terminal anionic group are described herein. The GA of the present invention is made by a facile and inexpensive method that involves high temperature base catalyzed dimerization of alcohols with 6 to 18 carbon atoms. The large hydrophobe ether surfactants of the present invention find uses in enhanced oil recovery (EOR) applications where it is used for solubilization and mobilization of oil and for environmental cleanup. Further, the hydrophobe alkoxylated GA without anionic terminal group can be used as an ultra-high molecular weight non-ionic surfactant.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 7, 2014
    Publication date: July 3, 2014
    Applicants: BASF SE, Board of Regents, The University of Texas System
    Inventors: Upali P. Weerasooriya, Gary A. Pope, Christian Bittner, Gunter Oetter, Jack F. Tinsley, Christian Spindler, Gabriela Alvarez Jurgenson, Sophie Vogel
  • Publication number: 20140116689
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a surfactant mixture comprising at least one surfactant of the general formula (I) R1O—(CH2CH(CH2OR2)O)p-(D)n-(B)m-(A)l-(X)k—Y?1/bMb+??(I) where R1, R2, p, D, n, B, m, A, l, X, k, Y?, b, Mb+ are each as defined in the claims and the description. The invention further relates to processes for mineral oil production by means of Winsor type III microemulsion flooding using a surfactant formulation comprising the surfactant mixture.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 23, 2013
    Publication date: May 1, 2014
    Applicant: BASF SE
    Inventors: Christian Bittner, Günter Oetter, Jack Tinsley, Christian Spindler, Gabriela Alvarez-Jürgenson, Sophie Maitro-Vogel
  • Patent number: 8596367
    Abstract: A process for mineral oil production by means of Winsor Type III microemulsion flooding and an aqueous surfactant formulation are disclosed. The aqueous surfactant formulation containing at least one ionic surfactant of the general formula R1—O—(CH2C(CH3)HO)m(CH2CH2O)n—XY?M+ is injected through injection boreholes into a mineral oil deposit, and crude oil is withdrawn from the deposit through production boreholes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2013
    Assignee: BASF SE
    Inventors: Christian Bittner, Günter Oetter, Jack Tinsley, Christian Spindler, Gabriela Alvarez-Jürgenson, Sophie Vogel, Veronica Wloka, Marcus Guzmann
  • Patent number: 8584751
    Abstract: A process for mineral oil production especially Winsor type III microemulsion flooding, in which an aqueous surfactant formulation which comprises at least one nonionic surfactant having 11 to 40 ethoxy units and a hydrophobic radical having 8 to 32 carbon atoms and at least one further surfactant differing therefrom is forced through injection wells into a mineral oil deposit and crude oil is removed from the deposit through production wells.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2013
    Assignee: BASF SE
    Inventors: Christian Bittner, Günter Oetter, Jack Tinsley, Christian Spindler, Gabriela Alvarez Jürgenson, Sophie Vogel
  • Patent number: 8584750
    Abstract: A process for mineral oil production, especially Winsor type III microemulsion flooding, in which an aqueous surfactant formulation which comprises at least one nonionic surfactant having 8 to 30 ethoxy units, which has a polydispersity of from 1.01 to 1.12, and at least one further surfactant is forced through injection wells into a mineral oil deposit and crude oil is removed from the deposit through production wells.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2013
    Assignee: BASF SE
    Inventors: Christian Bittner, Oetter Günter, Jack Tinsley, Christian Spindler, Gabriela Alvarez Jürgenson, Sophie Vogel
  • Publication number: 20120241151
    Abstract: A process for mineral oil production, in which an aqueous surfactant formulation comprising at least one alkyl polyglucoside is injected into a mineral oil deposit through at least one injection borehole and crude oil is withdrawn from the deposit through at least one production borehole, wherein the formulation does not comprise any alcohols as cosolvents.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 21, 2012
    Publication date: September 27, 2012
    Applicants: Cognis IP Management GmbH, BASF SE
    Inventors: Christian Bittner, Günter Oetter, Jack Tinsley, Christian Spindler, Gabriela Alvarez Jürgenson, Sophie Maitro-Vogel, Monika Santa, Jianhua Mao
  • Publication number: 20120220502
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to the use of alkylalkoxysulfonates for the production of foams, which are stable at high temperatures, e.g. up to about 250° C. Furthermore, the invention relates to a method for producing of high temperature stable foams by using a foamable aqueous composition comprising at least one linear alkylalkoxysulfonate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 24, 2012
    Publication date: August 30, 2012
    Applicant: BASF SE
    Inventors: Gabriela Alvarez Jürgenson, Günter Oetter, Vandana Kurkal-Siebert, Marta Reinoso Garcia, Stefan Stein, Geza Horvath Szabo
  • Publication number: 20110281779
    Abstract: Compositions and methods of synthesis of anionic surfactants by alkoxylation of a Guerbet alcohol (GA) having 12 to 36 carbon atoms using butylene oxide, and optionally propylene oxide and/or ethylene oxide followed by the incorporation of a terminal anionic group are described herein. The GA of the present invention is made by a facile and inexpensive method that involves high temperature base catalyzed dimerization of alcohols with 6 to 18 carbon atoms. The large hydrophobe ether surfactants of the present invention find uses in enhanced oil recovery (EOR) applications where it is used for solubilization and mobilization of oil and for environmental cleanup. Further, the hydrophobe alkoxylated GA without anionic terminal group can be used as an ultra-high molecular weight non-ionic surfactant.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 12, 2011
    Publication date: November 17, 2011
    Applicants: BASF SE, Board of Regents, The University of Texas System
    Inventors: Upali P. Weerasooriya, Gary A. Pope, Christian Bittner, Gunter Oetter, Jack F. Tinsley, Christian Spindler, Gabriela Alvarez Jurgenson, Sophie Maitro-Vogel
  • Publication number: 20110259583
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for mineral oil extraction by means of Winsor Type III microemulsion flooding, in which an aqueous surfactant formulation comprising at least one ionic surfactant of the general formula (R1)(R2)—CH—O-(D)n-(B)m-(A)l-XYa? a/b Mb+ is injected through injection boreholes into a mineral oil deposit, and crude oil is withdrawn from the deposit through production boreholes. The invention further relates to ionic surfactants of the general formula, to surfactant formulations, and to a process for preparation thereof.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 25, 2011
    Publication date: October 27, 2011
    Applicant: BASF SE
    Inventors: Christian Bittner, Günter Oetter, Jack Tinsley, Christian Spindler, Gabriela Alvarez Jürgenson, Sophie Vogel, Petra Neumann, Veronika Wloka, Martin Bock
  • Publication number: 20110263467
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for mineral oil extraction by means of Winsor type III microemulsion flooding, in which an aqueous surfactant formulation comprising at least three ionic surfactants which are different with regard to the alkyl moiety (R1)(R2)—CH—CH2— and are of the general formula (R1)(R2)—CH—CH2—O—(D)n—(B)m—(A)l—XYa? a/b Mb+ is injected through injection boreholes into a mineral oil deposit, and crude oil is withdrawn from the deposit through production boreholes. The invention further relates to surfactant formulations of ionic surfactants of the general formula.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 21, 2011
    Publication date: October 27, 2011
    Applicant: BASF SE*
    Inventors: CHRISTIAN BITTNER, Günter Oetter, Jack Tinsley, Christian Spindler, Gabriela Alvarez Jürgenson, Sophie Vogel, Petra Neumann, Veronika Wloka, Martin Bock
  • Publication number: 20110220353
    Abstract: The present invention relates to processes for tertiary mineral oil production with the aid of a surfactant mixture and to the use of a surfactant mixture for tertiary mineral oil production by means of Winsor type III microemulsion flooding, by injecting a surfactant mixture through at least one aqueous injection borehole into a mineral oil deposit, and withdrawing crude oil from the deposit through at least one production borehole, wherein the surfactant mixture, for the purpose of lowering the interfacial tension between oil and water to <0.1 mN/m, comprises at least the following components: (a) one or more polycarboxylate(s) comprising at least 50 mol % of acrylic acid units and/or methacrylic acid units and/or maleic acid units and/or itaconic acid units or salts thereof, and (b) one or more anionic and/or nonionic surfactant(s).
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 9, 2011
    Publication date: September 15, 2011
    Applicant: BASF SE
    Inventors: Christian Bittner, Günter Oetter, Jack Tinsley, Christian Spindler, Sophie Vogel, Gabriela Alvarez Jürgenson, Marcus Guzmann
  • Publication number: 20110220365
    Abstract: The invention relates to a process for mineral oil production by means of Winsor Type III microemulsion flooding, in which an aqueous surfactant formulation comprising at least one ionic surfactant of the general formula R1—O—(CH2C(CH3)HO)m(CH2CH2O)n—XY?M+ is injected through injection boreholes into a mineral oil deposit, and crude oil is withdrawn from the deposit through production boreholes. The invention further relates to ionic surfactants of the general formula.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 9, 2011
    Publication date: September 15, 2011
    Applicant: BASF SE
    Inventors: CHRISTIAN BITTNER, Günter Oetter, Jack Tinsley, Christian Spindler, Gabriela Alvarez Jürgenson, Sophie Vogel, Veronika Wloka, Marcus Guzmann
  • Publication number: 20110220364
    Abstract: The invention relates to a process for mineral oil production by means of Winsor type III microemulsion flooding, in which an aqueous surfactant formulation comprising at least one ionic surfactant of the general formula R1N+(R2)m(R3)n(R4)X? is injected through injection boreholes into a mineral oil deposit, and crude oil is withdrawn from the deposit through production boreholes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 8, 2011
    Publication date: September 15, 2011
    Applicant: BASF SE
    Inventors: CHRISTIAN BITTNER, Günter Oetter, Jack Tinsley, Christian Spindler, Gabriela Alvarez Jürgenson, Sophie Vogel
  • Publication number: 20110220366
    Abstract: The invention relates to a process for mineral oil extraction by means of Winsor Type III microemulsion flooding, in which an aqueous surfactant formulation comprising at least one ionic surfactant of the general formula R1—O-(D)n-(B)m-(A)l-XY?M+ is injected through injection boreholes into a mineral oil deposit, and crude oil is withdrawn from the deposit through production boreholes. The invention further relates to ionic surfactants of the general formula.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 9, 2011
    Publication date: September 15, 2011
    Applicant: BASF SE
    Inventors: Christian Bittner, Günter Oetter, Jack Tinsley, Christian Spindler, Gabriela Alvarez Jürgenson, Sophie Vogel
  • Publication number: 20110083847
    Abstract: A process for mineral oil production, especially Winsor type III microemulsion flooding, in which an aqueous surfactant formulation which comprises at least one alkylpolyalkoxysulfate comprising propoxy groups, and at least one further surfactant differing therefrom is used, is forced through injection wells into a mineral oil deposit and crude oil is removed from the deposit through production wells. The alkylpolyalkoxysulfate comprising propoxy groups is prepared in this case by sulfating an alkoxylated alcohol, the alkoxylated alcohol being prepared by alkoxylating an alcohol using double metal cyanide catalysts or double hydroxide clays.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 13, 2010
    Publication date: April 14, 2011
    Applicant: BASF SE
    Inventors: Christian Bittner, Günter Oetter, Jack Tinsley, Christian Spindler, Gabriela Alvarez Jürgenson, Sophie Vogel
  • Publication number: 20110083846
    Abstract: A process for mineral oil production, especially Winsor type III microemulsion flooding, in which an aqueous surfactant formulation which comprises at least one nonionic surfactant having 8 to 30 ethoxy units, which has a polydispersity of from 1.01 to 1.12, and at least one further surfactant is forced through injection wells into a mineral oil deposit and crude oil is removed from the deposit through production wells.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 13, 2010
    Publication date: April 14, 2011
    Applicant: BASF SE
    Inventors: Christian Bittner, Günter Oetter, Jack Tinsley, Christian Spindler, Gabriela Alvarez Jürgenson, Sophie Vogel