Abstract: The present invention is directed to a process for treating an oily substrate, including a mixture comprising water and oily material or a mixture comprising water, solids and oily material as components, and wherein such treatment comprises contacting the oily substrate with a solvent for the oily material, a comminuting surfactant, and a flocculant, wherein said solvent for said oily material ranges in solubility in water from sparingly soluble to substantially water insoluble, to produce at least one phase differentiating interface and to thereby render one or more components of said oily substrate separable.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a process for treating an oily substrate, including a mixture comprising water and oily material or a mixture comprising water, solids and oily material as components, and wherein such treatment comprises contacting the oily substrate with a solvent for the oily material, and wherein the solvent for the oily material ranges in solubility in water from sparingly soluble to substantially water insoluble, in the presence of an added comminuting and dispersing surfactant, to produce by such contacting at least one phase differentiating interface, and to thereby render one or more of the components of the oily substrate separable.

Abstract: A process for the electrochemical dehalogenation of halogenated organic compounds is provided which comprises combining in an electrochemical cell(a) at least one halogenated organic compound or a material comprising one or more halogenated organic compounds;(b) at least one electrolyte-organic solvent in an amount effective to conduct electric current and which is a solvent for the halogenated organic compound;(c) at least one sufficiently soluble electroconductive salt in an amount of from about 0.0005 to about 0.02 M; and(d) at least one sufficiently soluble electron transfer compounds wherein the electron transfer compound to salt ratio is from 0.1:1 to 20.1 weight percent; and then applying a voltage to the resulting mixture effective to remove any amount of halogen from said halogenated organic compound.

Abstract: This invention relates to a process for treating soil and sludge for removal of contaminants in contact with the soil or sludge. More particularly, this invention relates to a process where contaminants such as inorganic contaminants such as metal or metal salts or organic contaminants such as PCBs are removed from water-wet soil and sludge. In particular, this invention relates to a process for treating or cleaning a contaminated water-wet solid containing mixture by contacting the contaminated water-wet mixture with a solvent, the solvent containing a comminuting surfactant. The solvent used is a solvent for the contaminant and is sparingly soluble in water. The purpose of adding a comminuting surfactant to the solvent is to form a dispersed mixture of the solids, contaminants, and water whereby the contaminants are extractable into the solvent. The solvent containing the contaminants is easily separated from the solids and then the solvents and contaminants are separated and the solvent is reused.

Abstract: A process for upgrading diesel oil comprising the steps of:(1) reacting the diesel oil with a nitrogenous treating agent;(2) contacting the diesel oil from step (1) above with(a) a primary solvent selected from the group consisting of organic solvents having a dipole moment of about 1.

Abstract: A process for enhancement of the cetane number of a diesel fuel which in one embodiment comprises:(1) treating a diesel oil with a nitrogenous treating agent in a nitrogen amount, equivalent on a 100% nitric acid basis, to about 10 weight percent or less of the diesel oil feed;(2) removing unreacted nitrogenous treating agent from the diesel oil of step (1) to produce a treated diesel oil, and;(3) blending the treated diesel oil of step (2) with an untreated diesel oil to produce a blended diesel fuel such that the added nitrogen content in the blended diesel fuel is(a) about 300 ppm or less of nitrogen added when the diesel oil treated in step (1) is obtained from virgin diesel oil stock; or(b) about 450 ppm or less of nitrogen added when the diesel oil treated in step (1) is obtained from hydrotreated diesel oil stock.