Arizona State University

Lynda B Williams

Ian R Gould

Hilairy Hartnett

Everett Shock

Christiana Bockisch

Richard L Hervig

Kirtland Robinson

Grant Loescher

Oxidizing a first aromatic compound in the presence of a metal salt to yield a second aromatic compound includes combining the first aromatic compound, the metal salt, and water to yield an aqueous mixture, and heating the aqueous mixture at a temperature exceeding 200° C. to yield a reaction product that includes the second aromatic compound.

Metal organic interactions at hydrothermal conditions

Synthesizing an alkane includes heating a mixture including an alkene and water at or above the water vapor saturation pressure in the presence of a catalyst and one or both of hydrogen and a reductant, thereby hydrogenating the alkene to yield an alkane and water, and separating the alkane from the water to yield the alkane. The reductant includes a first metal and the catalyst includes a second metal.

Hydrothermal production of alkanes

The invention relates to methods for determining the source of hydrocarbons presented in the pores of a host rock or found in contaminated groundwater. The method includes the steps of (a) determining a first isotopic composition of boron and/or lithium in one or more components within a potential source rock sample, such as kerogen, clay, or water; (b) determining a second isotopic composition of boron and/or lithium in the hydrocarbons found within the pores of a host rock sample or in contaminated groundwater; and (c) comparing the first and second isotopic compositions to determine whether the potential source rock is the source of the hydrocarbons within the pores of the host rock or in contaminated groundwater. The comparison is facilitated by using the isotope fractionation between the kerogen, clay, or water components and the bitumen component of the potential source rock, which allows one to predict the isotope composition of any hydrocarbons originating in the bitumen component of the source rock, based on the isotope composition of one of the other three phases. The method can be used to select host rock for extracting oil and other hydrocarbons, as well as in remediating groundwater contamination.

Boron and lithium isotopic method for tracing hydrocarbons and their by-products

Growing community of inventors

Tempe, AZ, United States of America

Lynda B Williams