Shell Oil Comapny

Robert P Adamski

Pui Kwan Wong

Sharon M Beshouri

Maryanne Mores

Eugene L Holloway

Diana D Davis

Santhosh Kumar Shankar

Gregory Kent Bethke

George C Blytas

Gautam Chandrakanth Kini

Robert B Wood

Gautan Chandrakanth Kini

Rodney T Pennington

Virittamulla Gamage Chamupathi

Low-water content organic phases can be difficult to achieve at high fluxes when water is present in an emulsified form, such as in a water-in-oil emulsion. Processes for de-emulsifying a fluid stream containing emulsified water, such as water-in-crude oil emulsions, include introduction of the fluid stream into a vessel that defines a coalescence zone. The vessel is configured to provide for simultaneous application of a centrifugal force and an electric field to the fluid stream within the coalescence zone. The simultaneous application of the centrifugal force and the electric field to the fluid stream provides for the coalescence of a portion of the emulsified water into a bulk aqueous phase. Continuous phases of the organic component and the bulk aqueous phase form in the coalescence zone and are separately removed from the vessel. The bulk aqueous phase is removed from the underside of the vessel.

Systems and processes for separating emulsified water from a fluid stream

Decreasing the water content of an organic phase can often be desirable, but low water levels can be difficult to achieve at high fluxes when the water is present in an emulsified form, such as in a water-in-oil emulsion. Processes for de-emulsifying a fluid stream containing emulsified water, such as water-in-crude oil emulsions, include introduction of the fluid stream into a vessel that defines a coalescence zone. The vessel is configured to provide for simultaneous application of a centrifugal force and an electric field to the fluid stream within the coalescence zone. The simultaneous application of the centrifugal force and the electric field to the fluid stream provides for the coalescence of a portion of the emulsified water into a bulk aqueous phase. A biphasic mixture comprising continuous phases of the organic component and the bulk aqueous phase is formed within the coalescence zone and subsequently removed from the vessel.

Process to prepare low density porous cross-linked polymeric materials

The invention is an electrostatic coalescer testing apparatus for testing the ability of chemical additives to facilitate electrostatic coalescence of water in a water hydrocarbon-containing mixture. The apparatus includes: (a) a plurality of tubular containers for containing the water-hydrocarbon mixture, each of the tubular containers having one open end and one closed end, and made of a material not substantially electrically conductive; (b) a heating block/electrode having a plurality of tubular recesses therein, each of the tubular recesses for receipt of one of the tubular containers disposed closed-end down, the heating block/electrode comprising of a heat conducting and electrical current conducting material, for conducting heat to the tubular containers, and for applying an electrical potential across the water-hydrocarbon mixture; (c) a mixing blade/electrode member disposed within each of the tubular containers for mixing the water-hydrocarbon mixture with the chemical additive, and for applying an electrical potential to the water-hydrocarbon mixture; (d) a transformer means having two poles for applying an electrical potential to the two electrodes wherein; one pole is connected to the mixing blade/electrode; and one pole is connected to the heating block/electrode.

Electrostatic coalescer testing apparatus

The invention relates a mixer assembly for mixing liquids in a tubular container including: (a.) an electrically conductive central shaft member, (1) having a top end portion and a bottom end portion; (2) where the central shaft member is oriented longitudinally along the length of the mixing blade assembly; and (3) wherein the central shaft member is threaded along at least a portion of its circumference; (b.) a plurality of shearing members fixedly attached to the central shaft member for shearing the liquids when the shaft member is rotated; (c.) a vortex breaker member positioned below the blade members and above the bottom end portion of the central shaft member; wherein the vortex breaker member comprises: (1) a concave-shaped disk having an aperture substantially at its center, (2) wherein the central shaft member is positioned through, and fixedly attached at, the aperture of the vortex breaker member; (3) wherein the concave-shaped side of the vortex breaker member is oriented toward the bottom end portion of the central shaft member; (4) wherein all points along the perimeter of the circumference of the vortex breaker member are substantially equidistance from the center of the central shaft member.

Mixer assembly

A process for producing lower alcohols is presented in which an olefinic feed and H.sub.2 SO.sub.4 react to form a mixture comprising alkyl sulfates, alkyl disulfates, fat acid, and nonpolar hydrocarbons. The mixture is separated into two phases, a nonpolar phase comprising nonpolar hydrocarbons and a polar phase comprising alkyl sulfates, alkyl disulfates, and fat acids. A rag-layer that forms between the nonpolar and polar phases comprising carbonaceous particulate material is removed by contact with an extraction reagent. This can be a slip stream comprising an etheric derivative of the olefinic feed and an oligomeric derivative of the feed which is withdrawn from a subsequent step the process. This forms a separate hydrocarbon phase which is then extracted. The sulfates are then hydrolyzed to form alcohol.

Process for the production of lower alcohols

Stable high internal phase water-in-oil emulsions containing polymerizable vinyl monomers, crosslinking monomers and polymerization initiators are obtained by using saccharide fatty acid esters as surfactants. The amount of surfactants necessary to form stable high internal phase water-in-oil emulsions is decreased by using saccharide fatty acid esters as surfactants. Further, hydrophobic foams can be obtained by using saccharide fatty acid esters.

Low density porous crosslinked polymeric materials

Polyol impurities in a sorbitan ester mixture is removed by treating a polyol-containing sorbitan ester dissolved in a solution containing a hydrocarbon and a polar organic solvent with an aqueous metal halide salt solution.

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Missouri City, TX, United States of America

Robert P Adamski