Abstract: The present invention provides an internal olefin sulfonate composition, comprising water and an internal olefin sulfonate mixture having an average carbon number of at least 20, wherein the internal olefin sulfonate mixture comprises hydroxy sulfonates and alkene sulfonates in a weight ratio of hydroxy sulfonates to alkene sulfonates of at least 3.25. The invention further provides a method of treating a crude oil containing formation.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for predicting the optimal salinity of individual members of a class of internal olefin sulfonate compositions in a mixture containing the individual member, a brine and hydrocarbons, wherein the internal olefin sulfonate compositions comprise a mixture containing hydroxy alkane sulfonates and alkene sulfonates. The invention further provides use of the weight ratio of hydroxy alkane sulfonates to alkene sulfonates in an internal olefin sulfonate composition to predict the optimal salinity of the surfactant composition in a mixture of the surfactant composition, a brine and an oil.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method of treating a hydrocarbon containing formation, comprising the following steps: a) preparing an internal olefin sulfonate, comprising sulfonating an internal olefin into sulfonated internal olefin followed by contacting sulfonated internal olefin with a base containing solution resulting in the internal olefin sulfonate, wherein sulfonated internal olefin is contacted with the base containing solution in the presence of a non-ionic surfactant, and/or after step a) but before step b), the internal olefin sulfonate and said non-ionic surfactant are combined; b) transporting an aqueous solution comprising the internal olefin sulfonate and the non-ionic surfactant to the location of the hydrocarbon containing formation; c) providing the internal olefin sulfonate and the non-ionic surfactant to at least a portion of the hydrocarbon containing formation; and d) allowing the internal olefin sulfonate and the non-ionic surfactant to interact with the hydrocarbons in the hydrocarbon c

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for predicting the optimal salinity of individual members of a class of internal olefin sulfonate compositions in a mixture containing the individual member, a brine and hydrocarbons, wherein the internal olefin sulfonate compositions comprise a mixture containing hydroxy alkane sulfonates and alkene sulfonates. The invention further provides use of the weight ratio of hydroxy alkane sulfonates to alkene sulfonates in an internal olefin sulfonate composition to predict the optimal salinity of the surfactant composition in a mixture of the surfactant composition, a brine and an oil.

Abstract: The present invention provides an internal olefin sulfonate composition, comprising water and an internal olefin sulfonate mixture having an average carbon number of at least 20, wherein the internal olefin sulfonate mixture comprises hydroxy sulfonates and alkene sulfonates in a weight ratio of hydroxy sulfonates to alkene sulfonates of at least 3.25. The invention further provides a method of treating a crude oil containing formation.

Abstract: The invention relates to a process for preparing alkoxylated alcohols, wherein an alkoxylated alcohol which contains more than 200 parts per million by weight of a Group IA or Group IIA metal ion is contacted with a sulfonic acid. The resulting alkoxylated alcohol may then be sulfated by contacting it with a sulfating agent.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for treating a formation containing crude oil hydrocarbons, comprising injecting an aqueous composition comprising an internal olefin sulfonate with a nominal carbon chain length between 24 to 44 into said formation and displacing said crude oil hydrocarbons toward one or more production wells. The invention further provides a method for treating a formation containing crude oil hydrocarbons, a method for improving the wettability of a subsurface surface in an subsurface formation containing crude oil hydrocarbons, and a method for separating crude oil hydrocarbons from crude oil hydrocarbons compositions.

Abstract: A hydrocarbon recovery composition comprising vinylidene based alkoxylate derivatives. A method of treating a crude oil formation and a method of preparing the hydrocarbon recovery composition are also described.

Abstract: A process for producing phenol and methyl ethyl ketone (MEK).

Abstract: A process for producing phenol and methyl ethyl ketone (MEK).

Abstract: Disclosed is a process for disproportionation of potassium naphthoate to the dipotassium salt of 2,6-NDA which gives reproducible improved yields of up to 40% which comprises: a) reacting naphthoic acid in the presence of excess base to produce a disproportionation feed comprising a finely dispersed disordered salt mixture of excess base salts and naphthoic acid salts, wherein the feed is prepared by the steps of: (1) Reacting naphthoic acid in the presence of excess base selected from the group consisting of carbonates and bicarbonates to form a salt; (2) Drying said salt mixture by a method which forms a highly mixed disordered salt mixture characterized by a differential scanning calorimeter(DSC) signature characterized by low melting peaks not previously observed in the salt; and b) Disproportionating said solid salts in the presence of a disproportionation catalyst to form the dipotassium salts of 2,6-NDA.

Abstract: Disclosed is an integrated process for producing 2,6-naphthalene dicarboxylicacid comprising oxidizing a methylnaphthalene feedstock, hydrodebrominating the crude naphthoic acid product under conditions different from any work known in the art, forming a potassium salt of the acid; disproportionating the potassium salt to produce 2,6 potassium salts of NDA; selectively precipitating K2NDA; selectively precipitating the monopotassium salt of 2,6 NDA(KHNDA); disproportionating the KHNDA into 2,6 NDA and K2NDA; further reacting the 2,6 NDA in a pipe reactor; and drying the product 2,6 NDA by conventional means or directly slurrying directly into a PEN process. The process can tolerate impurities in the economical methylnaphthalene feed and the resulting 2,6 NDA is of high quality with <50 ppm potassium.

Abstract: An improved process for the production of bisphenols is presented in which ketones and phenols are reacted in the presence of an acidic cationic exchange resin catalyst and a mercaptan cocatalyst. Prior to the reaction, alkyl alcohol is removed from the ketone stream. Cocatalyst is withdrawn from the reactor so that cocatalyst derivatives such as disulphide ions can be removed from the presence of the catalyst thereby reducing the possibility of catalyst poisoning.

Abstract: An asphalt blend is presented in which asphalt is blended with a phenolic tar. The phenolic tar is primarily cumyl phenol and phenolic materials having a molecular weight of between about 300 and 1000. The tar is obtained as the bottoms product of a phenol heavy ends separation process and may also include phenol and acetophenone. A process for preparing this blend is also presented.