Abstract: A system for separating oil and/or oily coated solids from an oily water mixture. The system includes an upright vessel having an inlet for introducing oily water in a horizontal pattern. The vessel also has a water outlet in a lower portion of the vessel and an oil outlet. An eductor is positioned within a lower portion of the vessel and is arranged to disseminates small gas bubbles in a radial, substantially horizontal pattern and substantially uniformly over the full cross-sectional area of the vessel. The bubbles migrate upwardly against the downward flow of oily water within the vessel and attach to oil droplets and/or oily coated solids augmenting the buoyancy thereof, and thereby enhancing oily contaminant separation from water. A two-stage oil skimmer bucket is located in a top portion of the vessel by which separated oil is collected and discharged through the oil outlet.

Abstract: A system for separating oil and/or oily coated solids from an oily water mixture. The system includes an upright vessel having an inlet for introducing oily water in a horizontal pattern. The vessel also has a water outlet in a lower portion of the vessel and an oil outlet. An eductor is positioned within a lower portion of the vessel and is arranged to disseminates small gas bubbles in a radial, substantially horizontal pattern and substantially uniformly over the full cross-sectional area of the vessel. The bubbles migrate upwardly against the downward flow of oily water within the vessel and attach to oil droplets and/or oily coated solids augmenting the buoyancy thereof, and thereby enhancing oily contaminant separation from water. A two-stage oil skimmer bucket is located in a top portion of the vessel by which separated oil is collected and discharged through the oil outlet.

Abstract: Mercury is removed from crude oils, natural gas condensates and other liquid hydrocarbons by first removing colloidal mercury and solids that contain adsorbed mercury and then treating the hydrocarbons with an organic or inorganic compound containing at least one sulfur atom reactive with mercury. The sulfur compound reacts with dissolved mercury that contaminates the hydrocarbons to form mercury-containing particulates that are then removed from the hydrocarbons to produce a purified product having a reduced mercury content. Preferably, the treating agent is an organic sulfur-containing compound such as a dithiocarbamate or sulfurized isobutylene.

Abstract: Mercury is removed from crude oils, natural gas condensates and other liquid hydrocarbons by first removing colloidal mercury and solids that contain adsorbed mercury and then treating the hydrocarbons with an organic or inorganic compound containing at least one sulfur atom reactive with mercury. The sulfur compound reacts with dissolved mercury that contaminates the hydrocarbons to form mercury-containing particulates that are then removed from the hydrocarbons to produce a purified product having a reduced mercury content. Preferably, the treating agent is an organic sulfur-containing compound such as a dithiocarbamate or sulfurized isobutylene.

Abstract: Mercury is removed from crude oils, natural gas condensates and other liquid hydrocarbons by first removing colloidal mercury and solids that contain adsorbed mercury and then treating the hydrocarbons with an organic or inorganic compound containing at least one sulfur atom reactive with mercury. The sulfur compound reacts with dissolved mercury that contaminates the hydrocarbons to form mercury-containing particulates that are then removed from the hydrocarbons to produce a purified product having a reduced mercury content. Preferably, the treating agent is an organic sulfur-containing compound such as a dithiocarbamate or sulfurized isobutylene.

Abstract: A process is disclosed which involves removing hydrocarbons, arsenic and mercury from wastewater produced in oil and gas fields. An oxidant, ferric ions, and flocculent are sequentially added to the wastewater to form a removable sludge containing the arsenic, hydrocarbon, and mercury contaminants. The Oxidation-Reduction Potential of the wastewater is controlled by oxidant addition to allow the required arsenic oxidation to occur while maintaining the mercury in elemental form. The process requires relatively short residence times between chemical additions and provides for large wastewater throughputs. The cleaned wastewater is suitable for discharge to the environment.

Abstract: Hydrogen sulfide is removed from natural gas by contacting the natural gas with a scrubber oil that absorbs the hydrogen sulfide. The natural gas typically contains some water, or water can be added, and the resulting mixture is used to form a water-in-scrubber oil emulsion. Sulfur dioxide added to the water-in-oil emulsion reacts with the hydrogen sulfide present in the emulsion.

Abstract: Slurries of water-saturated coal and liquid hydrocarbon carriers having the properties of low apparent viscosity, controlled sedimentation and easy separation, which properties render the slurries transportable over long distances in conventional oil pipelines to predetermined destinations where they are easily separated into their constituent parts, are prepared by combining coal with a liquid hydrocarbon carrier, a minor amount of water in excess of the amount in the water-saturated coal and, optionally, a surfactant to form a mixture and then agitating the mixture under high shear conditions to form agglomerated coal particles in which water acts as a coordinator bridging layer around and/or among the agglomerated particles.

Abstract: There is provided a process for the formulation of an oil-in-water emulsion from a produced hydrocarbon crude which includes a water-in-oil emulsion. A substantially oil insoluble nonyl phenol emulsifier is added with agitation to the crude when such crude is at a temperature of from about 100.degree. to about 200.degree. F., in a quantity sufficient to formulate and then sustain an oil-in-water emulsion at pipeline conditions of temperature and shear. Water-content is from about 15 percent to about 35 percent by weight. Viscosity is sufficiently low for pipeline transportation. Any excess water is separated from the formed oil-in-water emulsion prior to pipelining. The oil-in-water emulsion is one that can easily be dewatered and desalted to the necessary marketing specifications at the downstream end of the pipeline, using known technology.

Abstract: Oxygenated hydrocarbons are contacted with a crystalline aluminosilicate zeolite for conversion into hydrocarbons.

Abstract: Organic waste is converted to hydrocarbons by a process which comprises the steps of:(a) pyrolyzing the organic waste to form a mixture including oxygenated hydrocarbons, and(b) contacting the oxygenated hydrocarbons with a crystalline aluminosilicate zeolite to form hydrocarbons.

Abstract: The instant invention relates to a method of converting the solid organic fraction of solid waste into a powdered fuel which comprises heating said solid organic fraction in the presence of formaldehyde for a time and at a temperature sufficient to embrittle said solid organic fraction, comminuting said embrittled solid organic fraction to a powder which is less than a predetermined particle size, and recovering said powder.The solid organic fraction may be separated from the solid waste prior to treatment by the process of this invention or alternatively the solid waste can be treated by the method of this invention and the embrittled organic fraction separated therefrom. Formaldehyde may be added to the solid organic fraction as an aqueous solution, a gas, or solid, e.g. as paraformaldehyde. The embrittling process takes place at a temperature of at least 125.degree. C., preferably from 150.degree. C. to 250.degree. C.

Abstract: Sulfidic minerals containing metal values such as copper, silver, nickel, cobalt, molybdenum, zinc, iron, or mixtures thereof are leached in two stages. In the second stage, preleached minerals are oxidized with nitrogen dioxide to enable the metal values to be solubilized in the aqueous acidic leach liquor in that stage. During the reaction, the nitrogen dioxide is reduced to nitric oxide. The nitric oxide is oxidized to nitrogen dioxide by oxygen. The acidic metal bearing liquor from the second stage flows to a first stage where it preleaches fresh minerals. The metal bearing liquor is delivered from the first stage to metal recovery while preleached minerals are delivered to the second stage.

Abstract: An energy efficient process is disclosed for the hydrometallurgical oxidation of sulfidic minerals containing copper, silver, nickel, cobalt, molybdenum, or zinc values. A high density slurry, e.g., 67% by weight solids, is prepared from a particulate sulfide mineral and water. Nitrogen dioxide and preferably also oxygen are added to the slurry to oxidize the sulfidic minerals and to produce solubilized cations and nitric oxide. The nitric oxide is oxidized to nitrogen dioxide, thereby regenerating the principal oxidant. If oxygen is added to the slurry along with NO.sub.2, then the regeneration occurs in-situ.

Abstract: Sulfidic minerals containing metal values such as copper, silver, nickel, cobalt, molybdenum, zinc, iron, or mixtures thereof are oxidized with nitrogen dioxide to enable the metal values to be solubilized in an aqueous acidic leach liquor. In practicing the invention, the minerals are added to an aqueous acidic leach liquor and a nitrogen dioxide containing gas is sparged through the slurry to oxidize the metal values. During the reaction, the nitrogen dioxide is reduced to nitric oxide. The nitric oxide is oxidized to nitrogen dioxide by oxygen, either in-situ, or in a separate off-gas oxidizer.

Abstract: Process for quantitatively converting non-ferrous metals chosen from the group consisting of copper, nickel, cobalt, vanadium, and manganese in an ore concentrate to soluble sulfates and simultaneously convert the ferrous values in the ore to insoluble oxides. The process comprises roasting finely divided ore particles at a temperature in excess of 650.degree. C. in the presence of a roaster gas comprising at least a stoichiometric amount of oxygen and at least 1% SO.sub.2. The roasting is performed in the presence of a sufficient amount of a mixture of salts to allow the formation of a liquid coating on the ore particles. In a preferred embodiment, the mixed salt which forms the liquid coating comprises Na.sub.2 SO.sub.4 and K.sub.2 SO.sub.4 with the ratio of sodium to potassium being between 1.0 and 2.0.