Patents Examined by Helane Myers
  • Patent number: 6106699
    Abstract: The invention is directed to a process of reducing the chlorine content of oil as well as its propensity to foul during subsequent distillation processes. The process heats the oil to a temperature in the range of 400 to 700 F and contacts the oil with a non-oxidizing gas, such as steam, for a residence time of at least several minutes. Thereafter the oil may be distilled and/or finished to a base lubricating oil or other distillate product. The oil subject to the process may be used oil, and can be subject to a dewatering or removal of light contaminants treatment prior to being subject to the process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 1998
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2000
    Assignee: Probex
    Inventors: Martin R. MacDonald, Alexander D.B. Daspit, Thomas G. Murray
  • Patent number: 6096189
    Abstract: A process for producing a lubricating oil basestock having at least 90 wt. % saturates and a VI of at least 105 by selectively hydroconverting a raffinate from a solvent extraction zone in a two step hydroconversion zone followed by a hydrofinishing zone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 1996
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2000
    Assignee: Exxon Research and Engineering Co.
    Inventors: Ian A. Cody, Douglas R. Boate, Sandra J. Alward, William J. Murphy, John E. Gallagher, Alberto Ravella, Richard A. Demmin
  • Patent number: 6090273
    Abstract: Used lubricating oil containing unacceptable levels of moisture and ash-forming contaminants is dried and clarified by a process that includes flash drying, heat treating at a temperature within the range of 600.degree.-700.degree. F. for 2-5 hours, and cooling the heat treated oil. Optional internal recycle of the product from each of these steps can help enhance the clarification process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 1997
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2000
    Assignee: U.S. Filter Recovery Services (Mid-Altantic, Inc.)
    Inventor: Geza L. Kovacs
  • Patent number: 6086751
    Abstract: TAN containing oils, e.g., crudes, are treated by flashing to remove substantially all of the water therefrom, thermally treating the recovered liquid to reduce the naphthenic acid content thereof, and re-combining light gases recovered from the flashing step with the treated liquid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 1997
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2000
    Assignee: Exxon Research and Engineering Co
    Inventors: Marty G. Bienstock, John G. Matragrano, Rutton Dinshaw Patel, Roby Bearden, Jr.
  • Patent number: 6086750
    Abstract: This disclosure sets out a metal salt removal procedure for use with a crude oil flow. A small amount of water is injected to form water bubbles surrounded by oil. An ethylene oxide reacted with polypropylene glycol at 350.degree. F. or so yields a water soluble demulsifier added at the rate of a few ppm to the water in oil mix. The added reaction product, a polyol enables metal salt isolation in the water.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 1999
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2000
    Inventor: Paul Eaton
  • Patent number: 6080302
    Abstract: A method for producing a process oil is provided in which an aromatic extract oil is added to a paraffinic rich feed to provide a blended feed. The blended feed is then extracted with an aromatic extraction solvent to yield a raffinate which subsequently is hydrotreated to provide a process oil.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 1998
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2000
    Assignee: Exxon Research and Engineering Co.
    Inventors: Keith K. Aldous, Jacob Ben Angelo, Joseph Philip Boyle
  • Patent number: 6074549
    Abstract: In a process for separating oily films from sand particles carried in a sent free water stream, the use of a jet pump scrubber in a density classification tank to treat such oily coated particles at controlled operating temperatures above 65.degree. C. whereby at such controlled temperature enhanced cavitation in said jet pump separates said oily film from said sand particles to form slop oil, said tank providing for recirculation of sand particles through said jet pump before discharge.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 1998
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2000
    Assignee: Canadian Environmental Equipment & Engineering Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Diana L. Bacon Cochrane, Patrick J. Cochrane, Wade R. Bozak, Roderick M. Facey
  • Patent number: 6068759
    Abstract: A process is provided for recovering lube oil base stocks from used lubricating oil formulations containing base oil stock and organo-metallic component which obviates preseparation of water and light hydrocarbons contaminants. The process comprises directly contacting used lubricating oil with a heated vapor, e.g., steam, under conditions which at least partially decompose the organo-metallic component and provide a desired volume of pumpable bottoms containing organo-metallic compound decomposition products and an overhead comprising gases and distillatable hydrocarbons, with no substantial carryover of metals into the overhead. The process may be carried out under conditions which minimize decomposition of high molecular weight additives such as VI improvers, to provide a bottoms fraction which may be added to asphalt or fuel oil.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 1998
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2000
    Assignee: Marathon Ashland Petroleum LLC
    Inventors: Howard F Moore, Donald P Malone, Patricia K Doolin, David J Zalewski
  • Patent number: 6069289
    Abstract: A process to separate multimethyl-branched alkanes from a mixture of multimethyl-branched alkanes, monomethyl-branched alkanes, and normal alkanes has been developed. The mixture is introduced to a simulated moving bed of solid adsorbent particles having the selectivity normal alkanes>monomethyl-branched alkanes>multimethyl-branched alkanes. The adsorbent may be silicalite, ferrierite, zeolite Beta, MAPO-31, SAPO-31, SAPO-11, zeolite X ion exchanged with alkaline cations, alkaline earth cations, or a mixture thereof, and zeolite Y ion exchanged with alkaline cations, alkaline earth cations, or a mixture thereof. A raffinate stream enriched in multimethyl-branched alkanes is removed from the simulated moving bed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 1998
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2000
    Assignee: UOP LLC
    Inventors: Hemant W. Dandekar, Gregory A. Funk, Herman A. Zinnen
  • Patent number: 6066250
    Abstract: A used investment casting wax composition containing a filler and/or a residue after a wax component is removed from the composition is dissolved or dispersed into an organic solvent. The mixture is separated into a dissolved wax fraction and a wax-containing solids fraction. The organic solvent in the dissolved wax fraction is removed to recover a wax component, while the wax component and the organic solvent in the wax-containing solids fraction are removed to recover a crude filler. The crude filler is washed with water and/or an aqueous alkaline solution to recover a high-purity filler. A reclaimed investment casting wax thus obtainable is less degraded by heat.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 1998
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2000
    Assignee: Kawasaki Steel Techno-Research Corporation
    Inventor: Tsuneo Kinjo
  • Patent number: 6063266
    Abstract: A process for removing essentially naphthenic acids from a crude oil which has not previously been fractionated by distillation, or from which only a naphtha fraction has been distilled. The crude oil is hydrogenated at 1-50 bars and 100-300.degree. C. over a catalyst of the kind used for hydrogenation of atmospheric residue oils. As a catalyst, especially Ni--Mo or Ni--Co deposited on alumina as a carrier material is used.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 1997
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2000
    Assignee: Den norske stats oljeseskap a.s.
    Inventors: Knut Grande, Carsten Sorlie
  • Patent number: 6063265
    Abstract: A process for producing a hydrodesulfurization catalyst is disclosed, comprising impregnating an inorganic oxide carrier containing a crystalline aluminosilicate with a solution consisting of Group VI metal oxide, a Group VIII metal oxide, and phosphorus. Also disclosed is a process for deep hydrodesulfurization of a gas oil fraction using said catalyst to obtain gas oil having an extremely low sulfur content.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 1997
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2000
    Assignees: Cosmo Oil Co., Ltd., Petpoleum Energy Center
    Inventors: Osamu Chiyoda, Kazushi Usui, Mitsugu Yumoto, Kazuo Idei, Etsuo Suzuki, Katsuyoshi Ohki, Takashi Fujikawa, Hatsutaro Yamazaki, Shunji Kitada
  • Patent number: 6054041
    Abstract: A hydroprocessing process includes two cocurrent flow liquid reaction stages and one vapor stage, in which feed components are catalytically hydroprocessed by reacting with hydrogen. The liquid stages both produce a liquid and a hydrogen-rich vapor effluent, with most of the hydroprocessing accomplished in the first stage. The first stage vapor is also hydroprocessed. The hydroprocessed vapor and second stage vapor are cooled to condense and recover additional product liquid and produce an uncondensed hydrogen-rich vapor. After cleanup to remove contaminants, the hydrogen-rich vapor is recycled back into the first stage as treat gas. Fresh hydrogen is introduced into the second stage. This is useful for hydrotreating heteroatom-containing hydrocarbons.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 1998
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2000
    Assignee: Exxon Research and Engineering Co.
    Inventors: Edward S. Ellis, William Ernest Lewis, David C. Dankworth, Ramesh Gupta
  • Patent number: 6054042
    Abstract: The invention relates to a process for treating naphthenic acid containing whole crudes or fraction thereof to reduce or eliminate their acidity by contacting the acidic whole crude or fractions thereof at a suitable temperature typically of less than 200.degree. C. with a neutralizing amount typically from 0.25:1 up to 10:1 of overbased detergent. The process has the additional benefits of reducing materials handling problems associated with emulsion formation in treated crudes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 1998
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2000
    Assignee: Exxon Research and Engineering Co.
    Inventors: Martin L. Gorbaty, David J. Martella, Guido Sartori, David William Savage, Bruce Henry Ballinger, Saul Charles Blum, Michael Paul Anderson, Trikur Anantharaman Ramanarayanan
  • Patent number: 6048447
    Abstract: An asphalt composition is provided which contains i) an asphalt component containing solvent-deasphalted bottoms, ii) a rerefined lube bottoms fraction, iii) an optional fluxing component, and iv) an optional vacuum bottoms component. The invention further relates to a method of preparing the asphalt composition and a paving composition containing same.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 1998
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2000
    Assignee: Marathon Ashland Petroleum LLC
    Inventors: Roger E. Hayner, Patricia K. Doolin, Howard F. Moore, Donald P. Malone
  • Patent number: 6048451
    Abstract: A product of reduced sulfur content is produced from a feedstock which is comprised of a mixture of hydrocarbons and contains organic sulfur compounds as unwanted impurities. The process comprises converting at least a portion of the sulfur-containing impurities to sulfur-containing products of higher boiling point by treatment with an alkylating agent in the presence of an acid catalyst and removing at least a portion of these higher boiling products by fractional distillation. Suitable alkylating agents include alcohols and olefins. In a preferred embodiment, catalytic cracking products which contain aromatic sulfur compounds as impurities are used as a feedstock for the process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 1997
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2000
    Assignee: BP Amoco Corporation
    Inventors: George A. Huff, Jr., Bruce D. Alexander, Douglas N. Rundell, William J. Reagan, Ozie S. Owen, Jin S. Yoo
  • Patent number: 6045690
    Abstract: An object is to increase cracking rate of heavy fraction oils while producing a lessened amount of dry gases generated by the hydrogen transfer reaction and by the overcracking to obtain light fraction olefins in a high yield. A process for the fluid catalytic cracking of heavy fraction oils, which comprises steps of feeding the heavy fraction oils to a raw oil introducing portion provided at a reaction zone inlet; feeding a part of a regenerated catalyst taken out of a catalyst-regenerating zone to a catalyst introducing portion provided at a reaction zone inlet; and feeding another part of the regenerated catalyst taken out of the catalyst-regenerating zone to at least one catalyst introducing portion which is provided between the catalyst introducing portion provided at the reaction zone inlet and reaction zone outlet, the catalytic cracking in the reaction zone being carried out under conditions of a contact time of 0.1 to 3.0 sec. a reaction zone outlet temperature of 530 to 700.degree. C.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 1997
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2000
    Assignee: Nippon Oil Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yuichiro Fujiyama, Michiaki Adachi, Toshiyasu Okuhara, Shunichi Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 6042715
    Abstract: A thermodynamic model is formed which allows determination of the temperature at which waxes or paraffins appear in petroleum fluids, and notably in crudes, as well as the solid fraction that precipitates when the temperature of the petroleum fluid falls below this critical value. A differentiation is established between n-paraffins, iso-paraffins, naphthenes and aromatics. The model utilizes an analytical representation of the fluids by pseudo-components, the physico-chemical parameters of most of them being determined by combination of the corresponding parameters of a certain number of pure hydrocarbons gathered in a database. The model takes account of the non-ideality of the solid, liquid, and gas phases. Two of the pseudo-constituents including the heaviest fractions are represented by two ficticious molecules, each being defined by a molar distribution among various groups which constitute them, and a group contribution method is used to calculate the thermodynamic properties thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 1997
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2000
    Assignee: Institut Francais du Petrole
    Inventors: Sandra Calange, Veronique Ruffier-Meray, Emmanuel Behar
  • Patent number: 6042719
    Abstract: Low sulfur gasoline of relatively high octane-barrel value is produced from cracked, sulfur containing olefinic naphthas by hydrodesulfurization at low temperature and low space velocity over either a conventional catalyst, such as CoMo/Al.sub.2 O.sub.3, or a dual functional catalyst, such as CoMo ZSM-5/Al.sub.2 O.sub.3. This approach also minimizes the olefins/hydrogen sulfide re-combination frequently observed at high temperature. The process produces a gasoline having a reduced sulfur content with a less than 5% change in motor octane number and a less than 10% change in research octane number.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 1998
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2000
    Assignee: Mobil Oil Corporation
    Inventor: Stuart S. Shih
  • Patent number: 6039864
    Abstract: There is provided a process for converting hydrocarbons which utilizes a zeolite bound zeolite catalyst that has enhanced performance when utilized in hydrocarbon conversion processes, e.g., catalytic cracking, alkylation, disproportionation of toluene, isomerization, and transalkylation reactions. The catalyst comprises a first zeolite having particles of greater than about 0.1 micron average particle size and a binder comprising second zeolite particles having an average particle size less than said first particles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 1998
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2000
    Assignee: Exxon Chemical Patents Inc.
    Inventors: Gary David Mohr, Johannes Petrus Verduijn