Process for dedusting solids-containing hydrocarbon oils

Abstract

Very finely divided particulate solids are removed from unconventional whole heavy petroleum crudes, heavy petroleum crude fractions, and residua, syncrudes and syncrude fractions, particularly shale oil and shale oil fractions, by the use of novel surface active agents. The surface active agent is characterized as an admixture of (I) a surfactant comprised of (A) an ethoxylated or propoxylated ester, or ester constituted of a 1,4 sorbitan skeleton to which at least one and up to three ethoxy, propoxy, or mixed ethoxy-propoxy, and at least one and up to three fatty acid substitutents are attached through oxygen to the 2,3,5 and 6 carbon atoms; and preferably this compound (A), or mixture thereof, is further admixed with (B) an organo sulfonic acid; and more preferably an admixture of (B) an organo sulfonic acid and (C) an ammonium ion substituted, a substituted ammonium ion substituted, or alkali metal substituted sulfonate. In its more preferred form, the surfactant (I) is admixed with (II) a demulsifier which is characterized as an ethoxylated, propoxylated, or mixed ethoxylated/propoxylated phenol formaldehyde resin substituted at a position para to said ethoxy and/or propoxy group, or groups, with a hydrocarboyl group. The surface active agent is admixed with the solids-containing oil, the mixture is emulsified with water, and heated, the novel surface active agent causing transfer of solids to the aqueous phase. The emulsion is contacted in an electrostatic coaleser to coalesce the water and separate from the emulsion and water phases a clean oil product for use in refining operations.