Abstract: Gemini surfactants having the structural formula: where: R1 is a radical represented by —H or —CH3, R2 is an alkyl or alkenyl chain, or cycloalkyl or aryl; R3 is a radical represented by —H, —CH3, —CH?CH—CH3, or —COOX; R4 is a radical represented by —H, —CH3, or —CH2—COOX; R5 is a radical represented by —H, an alkyl or alkenyl, cycloalkyl or aryl group, or a metal; R6 is a radical represented by an alkyl, alkenyl, cycloalkyl or aryl group; n and m can have values from 1 to 250, depending on the molecular weight of polyether used; and i can have values of 0 and 1: In the radical —COOX used in R3 and R4, X is represented by: —H, an alkyl, alkenyl group, a cycloalkyl or aryl group, or a metal.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for modifying the physical and chemical properties of Faujasite Y-type zeolites (FAU), mainly used as a base material of catalyst used in the Fluid Catalytic Cracking (FCC) process, for the interest of the oil refining industry, in which the conversion of oil heavy fractions into lighter fractions, with a higher commercial value, is carried out. More specifically, the present invention relates to a process for producing in a single step: a) A modified Faujasite Y-type zeolite, with a lower sodium content, as low as 75%, than that of the starting Faujasite Y-type zeolite.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an improved desulfurization process using an ionic liquid compound of general formula C+A?, where C+ represents an organic cation such as alkyl-pyridinium, di-alkyl imidazolium and tri-alkyl imidazolium; and A? is an anion of halides of iron (III), such as, for example, FeCl4?. The desulfurization process is also improved when producing the ionic liquid compound by heating the reactants using microwave energy. The ionic liquids can be used to desulfurize hydrocarbon mixtures by a liquid-liquid extraction.

Abstract: A supported carbon having high surface area, high pore volume containing (i) molybdenum (ii) a metal of non noble Group VIII, (iii) phosphorous, is used for hydrometallization of heavy crude oil and residue. The catalyst contains about 6 to 15 wt % molybdenum as MoO3, about 1 to 6 wt % cobalt or nickel as CoO or NiO and phosphorus as phosphorous oxide. One characteristic of the catalyst is the portion of pores having pore diameter in the range of 200 to 2000 Angstrom of 20 percent or more. The catalyst prepared by chelating agent has higher hydrodesulfurization activity assuming that more dispersed active metals are present on this catalyst. Long run activity studies show that catalyst having only molybdenum supported on activated carbon has good stability with time-on-stream and very high metal retention capacity.

Abstract: This invention consists in a device and a method to determine the ionic, electronic and mixed (electronic-ionic) conductivity in polymer, ceramic and composite (polymeric-ceramic) membranes. The invention device may work from room temperature to 300° C. and the method includes the collection and analysis of electrochemical impedance spectra during cell operation.

Abstract: A process for hydroconversion-distillation of heavy and/or extra-heavy crude oils, which comprises four stages: 1) desalting and separation of the feedstock; 2) catalytic hydrotreating of light fraction (optional); 3) catalytic hydroconversion of heavy fraction, and 4) distillation of hydrotreated products to provide products that can be processed in conventional refining schemes designed to operate with light and intermediate crude oils.

Abstract: A flow pattern enhancer system mainly for gas-producing oil wells with liquid load problems, comprising mechanical elements that atomize the liquids accumulated at the bottom of the well facilitating their transport to the surface, by decreasing frictional pressure drops and weight of the hydrostatic column.

Abstract: This invention is related to the use of ionic liquids of general formula C+A?, where C+ represents a cation of organic or inorganic type, specifically of the type imidazolium, pyridinium or ammonium salts, while the anion A? are derivatives which are halides, salts of iron (III), aluminum salts (III), acetate and benzoate, though not exclusively. These agents act as ionic liquid extractants of nitrogenous compounds present in hydrocarbon streams through a process of liquid-liquid extraction thereby can be reduced by more than 60% the content of these contaminants in hydrocarbon streams.

Abstract: The object of the present invention is to provide a process for experimental determination of heavy live crude oil dynamic viscosities reliable at a constant temperature (from ambient temperature to 463 K) and pressures from 68.9 MPa to the atmospheric pressure, including the dynamic viscosity at the bubble point pressure and by below of this point, based on a simple, reliable and accurate apparatus. The apparatus used in the present invention is based on an electromagnetic concept, only using a mobile element (piston) through a fluid at a constant force. The time required for the piston to travel a fixed distance is related exactly to the dynamic viscosity of the fluid contained in a measuring chamber. When the fluid contained in the inner part of the measuring chamber is more viscous, the piston displacement will be slower.

Abstract: The present invention is related with the application of an adsorbent material of microporous carbon (MCA), prepared from the direct pyrolysis of copolymers generically known as Saran, in adsorption processes to reduce the benzene content in naphtha boiling range hydrocarbon streams, between 27 and 191° C., in which is preferable to perform a first separation by distillation of the C6's fraction, and a further separation of Benzene by adsorption through an adsorbent material bed, obtaining the fraction of C6's free of Benzene and an adsorbent with Benzene, which is further regenerated by pressure or temperature swing desorption or by displacement using a desorbent such as an inert gas at high temperature or by passing a desorbent which after the process, the desorbent and Benzene are separated by distillation. The fraction of C6's free of Benzene is reintegrated to the hydrocarbon stream and providing a gasoline with a Benzene content less than 1 volume %.

Abstract: Heavy crude oil residue and vacuum residue is upgraded using an ionic liquid catalyst formulated with metals of Group VIB and VIIIB of the periodic table, which catalyst is highly miscible in the hydrocarbon phase. The combination of different metals and acidity from the protons that make up the ionic liquid breaks the links C—S, C—N and C—O of the resins and asphaltenes and increases API gravity, decreases viscosity, removes sulfur and nitrogen compounds, and results in conversion of 50 to 70% of the waste oil and heavy crude oil into lighter distillates.

Abstract: Nanomaterials of the JT phase of the titanium oxide TiO2-x, where 0?x?1 having as a building block a crystalline structure with an orthorhombic symmetry and described by at least one of the space groups 59 Pmmn, 63 Amma, 71 Immm or 63 Bmmb. The nanomaterials are in the form of nanofibers, nanowires, nanorods, nanoscrolls and/or nanotubes and are obtained from a hydrogen titanate and/or a mixed sodium and hydrogen titanate precursor compound that is isostructural to the JT crystalline structure. The titanates are the hydrogenated, the protonated, the hydrated and/or the alkalinized phases of the JT crystalline phase that are obtained from titanium compounds such as titanium oxide with an anatase crystalline structure, amorphous titanium oxide, and titanium oxide with a rutile crystalline structure, and/or directly from the rutile mineral and/or from ilmenite.

Abstract: The present invention is related to formulations including one or more block copolymers with low polydispersity and bifunctionalized with amines, and an ionic liquid. A method of demulsifying, dehydrating, and desalting crude oils having API gravity ranging between 8 to 30 admixes the formulation with the crude oil in an amount effective to demulsify, dehydrate and/or desalt the crude oils.

Abstract: The present invention relates to the application of ionic liquids individually or in formulation to dry and desalt crudes oils having API gravities in the range of 8 to 12 (median, heavy and extra-heavy) when applied at concentrations ranging from 500 and up to 5000 ppm. The ionic liquids have a cation selected from the group consisting of carboxymethane-ammonium, ammonium, imidazolium, isoquinolinium, pyridinium, and 1,5-dicarboxylic-pentane-2-ammonium and an anion selected from the group consisting of R5COO?, Cl?, Br?, [BF4]?, [PF6]?, [SbF6]?, [R6SO4]?, [OTs]31 , [OMs]?, where R5 is alkyl, cycloalkyl, benzyl, alkenyl, aromatic or alkyl functionalized between 1 and 18 carbon atoms, and R6 is methyl or ethyl.

Abstract: The online measurement system of radioactive tracers in oil wells head, object of this invention, is characterized by the use of new technology to measure concentrations of tracer activity in real time, using a radiation detector NaI (TI), with features that make it possible to detect up to three different tracers and be able to operate in temperature conditions up to 150° C., which allows to be immersed in a container with fluid coming from the flow stream, achieving with this to increase the sensitivity of the measurements. This system of measurement in the head of production wells will allow having much more data of the tracer activity, avoiding having to transport the operational staff to production wells to carry out sampling test, with all the advantages that this represents.

Abstract: The present invention is concerned with a procedure to quantitatively determine both, total and effective porosity of carbonated sedimentary rocks, and is based on the elaboration of molds of the rock pores-structure and on the determination of the volumetric and gravimetric properties of the rock and its mold. Determination of the effective porosity is achieved by using an original formula, developed by the authors of the present invention. Additionally, the structure of micro and nanopores in the rock is characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), to identify relevant properties for permeability analyses such as: dimensions, shapes, type of connections, pore-structure patterns and pore throats. These and other parameters are used as indicators of the reservoir production and storage capacity.

Abstract: A procedure for obtaining mixed multimetallic oxides derived from hydrotalcite type compounds, characterized in that the laminar metallic hydroxides obtained are constituted by three or four metallic cations, forming part of the sheets of the hydrotalcite type material represented by the formula: [M(II)1?x?y?zM(II)?xM(III)yM(III)?z(OH)2](An?y+z/n).mH2O. by a process comprising: (1) preparing an aqueous or organic solution containing three or more cations; (2) preparing an alkaline solution; (3) slowly combining solutions (1) and (2) to cause the co-precipitation of the cations in the form of hydroxides; (4) washing the precipitate containing the hydrotalcites with water, until removal of the non-precipitated ions; (5) drying; and (6) calcining the hydrotalcites.

Abstract: A process for increasing recovery of heavy oil with an API gravity equal to or greater than 10, contained in carbonate and/or sandstone porous media using extremophile (thermophilic, halotolerant and barotolerant) anaerobic indigenous microorganisms. The process involves nutrient injection to stimulate activity of extremophile anaerobic indigenous microorganisms at the well bottom, promoting the production of metabolites which improve oil mobility and increase oil recovery. Stimulation of extremophile anaerobic indigenous microorganisms and their metabolite production is conducted under anaerobic conditions at temperatures of 45 to 90° C., NaCl concentrations of 5,000 to 40,000 mg/L and pressures of 0.795 to 169 Kg/cm2 (11.3 to 2,400 psi). Heavy oils are recovered with API gravity equal to or greater than 10 degrees. The process enables up to 21% oil recovery in addition to the waterflooding process in porous media.

Abstract: The present invention relates to the preparation of Multimetallic Anionic Clays (MACs) through a simple method, which are then shaped by spray-drying into microspheres with adequate mechanical properties, suitable to be fluidized. The microspheres are appropriate for application as additives in the Fluid Catalytic Cracking (FCC) process, i.e. blended with the conventional catalyst, to in situ remove sulfur oxides (SOx) from the combustion gases produced in the regeneration stage of the FCC process, when cracking sulfur-containing hydrocarbon feeds. An oxidation promoter is added to the MACs in order to promote the oxidation of SO2 to SO3, a key step in SOx removal, providing more efficient and versatile materials, which are apt to be used in atmospheres with variable oxygen concentration.

Abstract: The present invention refers to a method for eliminating silicon or silicon compounds that are contained in alumina based materials without destroying such alumina based materials allowing for their reutilization, its main application is being the regeneration of alumina based catalyst contaminated with silicon, which are used in hydro-treating processes in the oil industry for sulfur elimination and silicon removal from process streams. It is important to note that the procedures and/or conventional methods known so far for the elimination and removal of silicon contained in alumina based materials, use inorganic acids or their mixture in a digestion process which modifies the properties of alumina and of any other element contained in the material, thus destroying the alumina and disabling their reutilization.