Upgrading of petroleum by combined ultrasound and microwave treatments

Abstract

The treatment of petroleum and petroleum fractions by ultrasound to reduce or eliminate the sulfur levels and to upgrade the material by lowering the boiling points of its various components is improved by the exposure of the treated emulsion to microwave energy to separate the phases.

1 . A process for treating a feedstock consisting of petroleum or a fraction thereof to convert components of said feedstock to products having boiling points that are lower than the boiling points of said components, said method comprising: 
 (a) combining said feedstock with an aqueous liquid to form an emulsion,    (b) exposing said emulsion to ultrasound,    (c) subsequent to step (b), irradiating said emulsion with microwave radiation to separate said emulsion into aqueous and organic phases, and    (d) recovering said organic phase.    
   
   
       2 . The process of  claim 1  wherein step (a) comprises combining said feedstock with said aqueous liquid at a (feedstock):(aqueous liquid) volume ratio of from about 25:1 to about 1:5.  
   
   
       3 . The process of  claim 1  wherein step (a) comprises combining said feedstock with said aqueous liquid at a (feedstock):(aqueous liquid) volume ratio of from about 20:1 to about 1:2.  
   
   
       4 . The process of  claim 1  wherein step (a) comprises combining said feedstock with said aqueous liquid at a (feedstock):(aqueous liquid) volume ratio of from about 12:1 to about 1:1.  
   
   
       5 . The process of  claim 1  wherein said feedstock is whole crude oil.  
   
   
       6 . The process of  claim 1  wherein said feedstock is a petroleum fraction.  
   
   
       7 . The process of  claim 1  wherein said feedstock is petroleum residuum.  
   
   
       8 . The process of  claim 1  wherein said microwave radiation of step (c) is at a frequency of from about 900 MHz to about 2,500 MHz.  
   
   
       9 . The process of  claim 1  wherein steps (b) and (c) are performed continuously in flow-through reactors.  
   
   
       10 . The process of  claim 1  wherein step (c) is performed at a power level of from about 100 watts to about 10,000 watts with an exposure time of from about 0.03 second to about 30 seconds.  
   
   
       11 . The process of  claim 1  wherein step (c) is performed at a power level of from about 500 watts to about 5,000 watts with an exposure time of from about 0.1 second to about 1 second.  
   
   
       12 . The process of  claim 1  wherein step (c) is performed in the absence of a chemical de-emulsifying agent.  
   
   
       13 . The process of  claim 1  wherein said ultrasound of step (b) is at a frequency of from about 10 kHz to about 30 kHz.