The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Mar. 21, 1989
Filed:
Jul. 20, 1988
National Research Council of Canada, Ottawa, CA;
Abstract
A method for the molecular filtration of predominantly aliphatic hydrocarbon liquids (e.g. spent diesel lubrication oil, crude oil or pipeline blend crude oils and heavy oils, and bitumen), wherein, at a viscosity less than 600 centipoise, the predominantly aliphatic hydrocarbon liquid is passed through a membrane, having at least a swelled outer layer on the high pressure side comprising a microporous, membrane of an aliphatic hydrocarbon liquid swellable, polysulfone compound, at a pressure differential in the range 1 to 100 atmospheres oil. The microporous membrane having been swelled in the aliphatic hydrocarbon liquid from having a molecular weight cut off less of than 20,000 when measured in an aqueous medium to, after adsorption of hydrocarbon liquid and having been swelled thereby, a molecular weight cut off less than 4,000 when measured in hydrocarbon liquid, so that oil depleted in the substance to be filtered therefrom permeates the membrane. The viscosity of the crude oil may be reduced by heating or adding a solvent to it. The invention is useful for separating, for example, nitrogen, sulphur, aluminum, chromium, copper, nickel, vanadium and asphaltenes from fossil derived, predominantly aliphatic hydrocarbon liquids.