Methods and materials for hydrocarbon recovery

Abstract

Crosslinked polyolefins for use in recovering or containing hydrocarbons such as hydrocarbons contained in oil, are disclosed. Advantageously, the crosslinked polyolefins absorb the hydrocarbon to form a gel that can be collected and processed by heat to release the collected hydrocarbons.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of recovering a hydrocarbon, the method comprising:
 contacting at least one hydrocarbon with a crosslinked polyolefin, wherein the crosslinked polyolefin absorbs the at least one hydrocarbon and wherein polyolefin has an absorption capacity of at least 10.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , the crosslinked polyolefin is formed from about 60-95 mole % of an alpha olefin, from about 5 to 40 mole % of an aromatic monomer and from about 0.1 to 3 mole % of a crosslinker. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein (i) the alpha olefin is selected from the group consisting of ethylene, propylene, 1-butene, 1-pentene, 1-hexene, 1-heptene, 1-octene, 1-nonene, 1-decene, 3-methyl-1-butene, 4-methyl-1-pentene, 3-methyl-1-pentene, 4-methyl-1-hexene, 3,3-dimethyl-1-butene, and 4,4-dimethyl-1-hexene, and combinations thereof; (ii) the aromatic monomer is selected from the group consisting of styrene, alkylstyrenes, such as p-methylstyrene, o-methylstyrene, m-methylstyrene, 2,4-dimethylstyrene, 2,5-dimethylstyrene, 3,4-dimethylstyrene, 3,5-dimethylstyrene and t-butylstyrene, and a combination thereof; and (iii) the crosslinker is selected from the group consisting of 1,5-hexadiene, 1,7-octadiene, 1,2-divinylbenzene, 1,3-divinylbenzene, 1,4-divinylbenzene, 4-propenylstyrene, 4-butenylstyrene, 4-pentenylstyrene, 4-hexenylstyrene, and a combination thereof. 
     
     
         4 . A method of recovering a hydrocarbon, the method comprising:
 contacting at least one hydrocarbon with a crosslinked polyolefin to absorb the hydrocarbon into the crosslinked polyolefin, wherein the crosslinked polyolefin has the following formula (I):   
       
         
           
           
               
               
           
         
         wherein (CH 2 —CH(R)) represents the same or different olefin repeating unit; R is independently H or a C 1 -C 30  linear, branched, or cyclic alkyl moiety; n is an integer greater than 500; (CH 2 —CH(Ar)) represents the same or different aromatic repeating unit; Ar is an aryl moiety that can be substituted with one or more R 1  groups; wherein R 1  is a C 1  to C 10  linear, branched, or cyclic alkyl moiety that can be substituted with one or more C 1  to C 5  alkyl groups; p is an integer from 0 to 20,000; R 2  is either present or absent and when R 2  is present, R 2  is a C 1  to C 10  linear, branched, or cyclic alkyl moiety that can be substituted with one or more C 1  to C 5  alkyl groups; X is a cross-linking moiety; and q is an integer greater than 5. 
       
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein (i) the olefin is selected from the group consisting of: ethylene, propylene, 1-butene, 1-pentene, 1-hexene, 1-heptene, 1-octene, 1-nonene, 1-decene, 3-methyl-1-butene, 4-methyl-1-pentene, 3-methyl-1-pentene, 4-methyl-1-hexene, 3,3-dimethyl-1-butene, and 4,4-dimethyl-1-hexene, and combinations thereof; and (ii) Ar is selected from the group consisting of: phenyl, p-methylphenyl, o-methylphenyl, m-methylphenyl, 2,4-dimethylphenyl, 2,5-dimethylphenyl, 3,4-dimethylphenyl, 3,5-dimethylphenyl and p-t-butylphenyl, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein X is a cross-linking moiety that is a residue formed by thermal cycloaddition reaction between two pendant styrene units 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the crosslinked polyolefin is completely amorphous. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the crosslinked polyolefin has a Tg of less than about 10° C. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the at least one hydrocarbon is a mixture of hydrocarbons. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 4 , further comprising collecting the crosslinked polyolefin containing the at least one hydrocarbon and separating the hydrocarbon from the crosslinked polyolefin. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 4 , further comprising heating the crosslinked polyolefin containing the at least one hydrocarbon to separate the at least one hydrocarbon from the crosslinked polyolefin. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising substantially decomposing the crosslinked polyolefin to hydrocarbons. 
     
     
         13 . A crosslinked polyolefin having the following formula (II): 
       
         
           
           
               
               
           
         
         wherein (CH 2 —CH(R)) represents the same or different olefin repeating unit; R is independently H or a C 1 -C 30  linear, branched, or cyclic alkyl moiety; n is an integer greater than 500; (CH 2 —CH(Ar)) represents the same or different aromatic repeating unit; Ar is an aryl moiety that can be substituted with one or more R 1  groups; wherein R 1  is a C 1  to C 10  linear, branched, or cyclic alkyl moiety that can be substituted with one or more C 1  to C 5  alkyl groups; p is an integer from 0 to 20,000; R 2  is either present or absent and when R 2  is present, R 2  is a C 1  to C 10  linear, branched, or cyclic alkyl moiety that can be substituted with one or more C 1  to C 5  alkyl groups; X is a cross-linking moiety; and q is an integer greater than 5; r is an integer from 0 to 100; n′ is an integer between 200 and 5,000; p′ is an integer between 20 and 2,000; X′ is a branching moiety that is the residue of pendent olefinic unit after a chain transfer reaction incorporating a side chain. 
       
     
     
         14 . The crosslinked polyolefin of  claim 13 , where the wherein the crosslinked polyolefin has the following formula (I): 
       
         
           
           
               
               
           
         
       
     
     
         15 . A gel comprising the crosslinked polyolefin of  claim 13  and at least one hydrocarbon, wherein the hydrocarbon is absorbed in the crosslinked polyolefin and wherein the hydrocarbon is in an amount by weight that is at least ten times the weight of the crosslinked polyolefin in the gel.