Means of Affecting Separation

Abstract

Herein is provided processes for affecting the separation of oil from emulsions by the addition of nanogas solutions. For example, the nanogas solutions can be used to affect the viscosity and/or density of oil droplets in oil-in-water emulsions, break the oil-in-water emulsion; and form an oil phase floating on a water phase. In another example, the nanogas solutions can be used in conjunction with a floatation tank to separate oil from, for example, produced water. In other examples selection of the gasses in the nanogas solution can be used to affect reactions and/or separation.

1 . A process comprising:
 shearing a first nanogas solution into an oil-in-water micro emulsion;   breaking the oil-in-water micro emulsion and forming a water-in-oil macro emulsion, a water phase, and a solids phase, where the water-in-oil macro emulsion is carried on the water phase; and   collecting oil from the water-in-oil macro emulsion;   wherein the nanogas solution consists essentially of a homogeneous mixture of nanobubbles and water.   
     
     
         2 . The process of  claim 1  further comprising separating the water phase from the water-in-oil macro emulsion and the solids; wherein the separated water phase includes nanobubbles. 
     
     
         3 . The process of  claim 2  further comprising recycling a portion of the water phase; and using the recycled portion of the water phase to provide the first nanogas solution. 
     
     
         4 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein the oil-in-water micro emulsion includes emulsifiers selected from solids, asphaltenes, paraffins, resins, and mixtures thereof. 
     
     
         5 . The process of  claim 4 , wherein the first nanogas solution is an oxygen-nanogas solution; the process further comprising absorbing oxygen nanobubbles into the emulsifiers, reducing the zeta potential of an oil droplet, and forming an admixture that includes a coagulum; wherein the coagulum comprises an oil-in-water macro emulsion. 
     
     
         6 . The process of  claim 5 , further comprising admixing a second nanogas solution with the admixture that includes the coagulum, where the second nanogas solution is a nitrogen-nanogas solution; dissociating the emulsifiers from a surface of oil droplets in the oil-in-water macro emulsion; breaking the oil-in-water emulsion; and forming the water-in-oil macro emulsion. 
     
     
         7 . The process of  claim 4 , wherein the first nanogas solution is a nitrogen-nanogas solution; the process further comprising dissociating the emulsifiers from a surface of oil droplets in the oil-in-water macro emulsion; breaking the oil-in-water emulsion; and forming the water-in-oil macro emulsion. 
     
     
         8 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein the first nanogas solution includes carbon dioxide and nitrogen; the process further comprising absorbing the carbon dioxide into an oil droplet; and reducing the density of the oil droplet; wherein the water-in-oil macro emulsion includes carbon dioxide in the oil. 
     
     
         9 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein the oil-in-water micro emulsion includes a concentration of sulfides greater than 50 ppm, the sulfides selected from iron sulfide, hydrogen sulfide, and a mixture thereof; wherein either (a) the first nanogas solution includes a sufficient quantity of oxygen nanobubbles to react completely with the concentration of sulfides in the oil-in-water emulsion, thereby reducing the sulfide concentration to less than 10 ppm, or (b) the process further includes admixing a second nanogas solution with the water phase, wherein the sulfides of the oil-in-water micro emulsion are carried into the water phase, and where the second nanogas solution includes a sufficient quantity of oxygen nanobubbles to react completely with the concentration of sulfides in the water phase, thereby reducing a sulfide concentration to less than 10 ppm. 
     
     
         10 . The process of  claim 1  further comprising providing a flow of the oil-in-water micro emulsion; wherein shearing the first nanogas solution into the oil-in-water micro emulsion includes injecting a stream of the first nanogas solution into the micro emulsion flow at a direction that is 90° to 180° from the flow, preferably 115° to 180°, more preferably 135° to 180°. 
     
     
         11 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein shearing the first nanogas solution into the oil-in-water micro emulsion includes admixing the first nanogas solution and the micro emulsion in a mixer; the process further including ejecting this admixture into a separation container. 
     
     
         12 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein the first nanogas solution does not form macrobubbles. 
     
     
         13 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein the water-in-oil macro emulsion does not include macrobubbles. 
     
     
         14 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein the water-in-oil macro emulsion includes greater than about 50 wt. % oil and less than about 50 wt. % water; wherein the water-in-oil macro emulsion further includes nanobubbles. 
     
     
         15 . A process comprising:
 providing a floatation tank having an inlet end and an outlet end; the floatation tank including an oil-in-water emulsion inlet and a first nanogas inlet, both, proximal to the inlet end, and having an underflow baffle proximal to the outlet end;   providing an oil-in-water emulsion to the floatation tank via the oil-in-water emulsion inlet;   providing a nanogas solution to the floatation tank via the first nanogas inlet by injecting a stream of a nanogas solution into a flow path of the oil-in-water emulsion at a direction that is 90° to 180° from the flow path, preferably 115° to 180°, more preferably 135° to 180°, thereby admixing the nanogas solution with the oil-in-water emulsion without the formation of macrobubbles;   breaking the oil-in-water emulsion and forming an oil phase floating on a water phase;   separating the water phase from the oil phase by carrying the water phase under the underflow baffle.   
     
     
         16 . The process of  claim 15 ,
 wherein the floatation tank includes a second nanogas inlet downstream from the first nanogas inlet and upstream from the underflow baffle;   the process further including
 providing a second nanogas solution to the floatation tank via the second nanogas inlet thereby admixing the second nanogas solution with the water phase carrying the oil phase. 
   
     
     
         17 . A method comprising:
 admixing a nitrogen-nanogas solution with oil sands tailings;   separating materials including silts, residual bitumen, and organic compounds from water in the oil sands tailings;   wherein the nitrogen-nanogas solution includes nitrogen nanobubbles;   wherein the viscosity of oil in the tailings is reduced as an effect of the addition of the nitrogen-nanogas solution.   
     
     
         18 . (canceled) 
     
     
         19 . (canceled) 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 17  further comprising admixing an oxygen-nanogas solution with the oil sands tailings; and oxidizing a sulfide. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 17  further comprising admixing the nitrogen-nanogas solution with the tailings and then adding the admixture to a tailings pond. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein admixing the nitrogen-nanogas solution and the tailings includes subsurface injection of the nitrogen-nanogas solution into tailings held in a tailings pond. 
     
     
         23 . (canceled) 
     
     
         24 . (canceled)