A method of treating oily solid particles

Abstract

A method of cleaning oily solid particles entrapping heavy crude oil comprises the steps of creating electrostatic repulsion in between the surface of the oily solid particles and the entrapped heavy crude oil through negatively charging the surface of the oily solid particles with a basic solution; reacting the oily solid particles with an emulsified composition containing light hydrocarbon in the presence of the basic solution to displace the entrapped heavy crude oil from the surface of the oily solid particles using the light hydrocarbon; separating the reacted oily solid particles into a liquid phase and a solid phase; and removing residues of the emulsified composition from solid phase, wherein the emulsified composition comprises a surfactant in 2 to 40% by weight of total composition selected from alkyl polyglycosides, glyceryl-based surfactant, polyglyceryl-based surfactant, sucrose-based surfactant, sorbitol fatty acid esters, sulfofatty acid methyl esters, acylated aminoacids, acyl glutamates, acyl glycinates, acyl alaninates, lauroyl sarcosinate, nopol alkoxylates; a co-surfactant in 1 to 30% by weight of total composition selected from the group consisting of C3 to C18 alcohols, C3 to C18 alkyl lactates, lecithins, C3 to C18 fatty acids, diols, amino acids and any mixtures thereof; an oil phase in 15 to 90% by weight of total composition; and an aqueous phase in 0.5 to 20% by weight of total composition.

1 . A method of cleaning oily mass having heavy oil adsorbed onto solid particles comprising the steps of
 creating electrostatic repulsion in between the surface of the solid particles and the adsorbed heavy oil using a basic solution;   reacting the oily mass with an emulsified composition containing light hydrocarbon in the presence of the basic solution to displace the adsorbed heavy oil from the surface of the solid particles using the light hydrocarbon;   separating the reacted oily mass into a liquid phase and a solid phase; and   removing residues of the emulsified composition from solid phase, wherein the emulsified composition comprises a surfactant in 2 to 40% by weight of total composition selected from alkyl polyglycosides, glyceryl-based surfactant, polyglyceryl-based surfactant, sucrose-based surfactant, sorbitol fatty acid esters, sulfofatty acid methyl esters, acylated aminoacids, acyl glutamates, acyl glycinates, acyl alaninates, lauroyl sarcosinate, nopol alkoxylates; a co-surfactant in 1 to 30% by weight of total composition selected from the group consisting of C3 to C18 alcohols, C3 to C18 alkyl lactates, lecithins, C3 to C18 fatty acids, diols, amino acids and any mixtures thereof; an oil phase in 15 to 90% by weight of total composition; and an aqueous phase in 0.5 to 20% by weight of total composition.   
     
     
         2 . A method of  claim 1  further comprising the step of recovering oil from the liquid phase. 
     
     
         3 . A method of  claim 1  or  2 , wherein the emulsified composition is of 0.01 to 15% wt of the basic solution. 
     
     
         4 . A method of  claim 1  or  2 , wherein the removing step is washing the solid phase with an aqueous solution at least one time followed by separating the washed solid phase from the solution. 
     
     
         5 . A method of  claim 1  or  2 , wherein the removing step is washing the solid phase with a solvent mixture of an aqueous solution mixed and a co-solvent at least one time followed by separating the washed solid phase from the solution that the co-solvent is ethylene glycol, diethylene glycol, triethylene glycol, propylene glycol, diprolylene glycol, methanol, ethanol, propanols, butanols, butoxyethanol or any combination derived thereof. 
     
     
         6 . A method of  claim 1  or  2 , wherein the removing step is vaporizing the remained light hydrocarbon off the solid phase. 
     
     
         7 . A method of  claim 1  or  2 , wherein the removing step is vaporizing the remained light hydrocarbon off the solid phase through heating the solid phase at a temperature below the flash point of the light hydrocarbon. 
     
     
         8 . A method of  claim 1  or  2 , wherein the reacting step further comprises dispersing the oily mass in the basic solution. 
     
     
         9 . A method of  claim 1  or  2 , wherein the basic solution is prepared from alkaline salts of hydroxides, carbonates, phosphates or any combination derived thereof. 
     
     
         10 . A method of  claim 1  or  2 , wherein the emulsified composition further comprises a chelating agent selected from the group consisting of ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid, hydroxyethylenediamine triacetic acid, nitriolotriacetic acid, citric acid, acetylacetone, porphyrin, catechol, dithiolene phosphonic acids and their salts, polyphosphates, phosphate esters, nonpolymeric phosphonates, aminophosphonates, polyphosphonates phosphino polymers, polyphosphinates, polycarboxylates, polysulfonates or any combination derived thereof.