Purification of organically modified surface active minerals by air classification

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016326422-A1
Application number	US-201414783452-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 19, 2014
Priority date	Dec 19, 2014
Publication date	Nov 10, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

Methods including drying a crude mineral composition comprising surface active minerals (“SAM”) and gangue, grinding the crude mineral composition to produce a crude mineral particulate composition comprising SAM particulates and gangue particulates, contacting the crude mineral particulate composition with a quaternary ammonium surfactant to form organically modified surface active mineral (“OMSAM”) particulates, grinding the crude mineral particulate composition that was contacted with the quaternary ammonium surfactant, and separating a portion of the OMSAM particulates from the gangue particulates using an air classifier.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1 . A method comprising:
providing a crude mineral composition comprising surface active minerals (“SAM”) and gangue; drying the crude mineral composition to have a first moisture content of less than about 20%; grinding the crude mineral composition to produce a crude mineral particulate composition comprising SAM particulates and gangue particulates, contacting the crude mineral particulate composition with a quaternary ammonium surfactant,
wherein at least a portion of the SAM particulates react with the quaternary ammonium surfactant to form organically modified surface active mineral (“OMSAM”) particulates;
grinding the crude mineral particulate composition that has been contacted with the quaternary ammonium surfactant; separating at least a portion of the OMSAM particulates from the gangue particulates using an air classifier, thereby forming a substantially purified OMSAM composition,
wherein the separation is based on at least one of the size and density of the OMSAM particulates.

2 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising drying the crude mineral particulate composition that has been contacted with the quaternary ammonium surfactant to have a second moisture content of less than about 20% prior to the step of: grinding the crude mineral particulate composition that has been contacted with the quaternary ammonium surfactant.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the SAM particulates in the crude mineral composition are natural or synthetic, and selected from the group consisting of a member of the smectite family, a member of the illite family, a member of the palygorskite-sepiolite phyllosilicate family, a member of the kaolinite family, a member of the zeolite tectosilicate family, analcime, chabazite, clinoptilolite, erionite, ferrierite, heulandite, laumontite, mordenite, phillipsite natrolite, stilbite, scolecite, nontronite, bentonite, hectorite, attapulgite, smectite, vermiculite, swellable fluoromica, montmorillonite, beidellite, saponite, sepiolite, kaolin, any cation exchanged version thereof, and any combination thereof.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the quaternary ammonium surfactant is selected from the group consisting of dialkyl dihydrogenated tallow ammonium surfactant, a bis-decyl-diethyl ammonium surfactant, a myristyltrimethyl ammonium surfactant, a cetyltrimethyl ammonium surfactant, a dodecyltrimethyl ammonium surfactant, an ethylhexadecyldimethyl ammonium surfactant, a decyltrimethyl ammonium surfactant, a hexadecyltrimethyl ammonium surfactant, a didodecyldimethyl ammonium surfactant, a propylalkonium-based amide surfactant, any with a chloride counter ion, any with a bromine counter ion, any with a methyl sulfate ion, a surfactant according to Formula 1, and any combination thereof,
wherein Formula 1 has the formula:

where R 1 , R 2 , R 3 , and R 4 are independently selectable C 1 -C 22 groups and X− is one of a fluoride, chloride, bromide, iodide, an alkyl sulfate, acetate, nitrate, bicarbonate, carbonate, hydroxide, alkoxide, phenoxide, an oligomeric anion, or a polymeric anion.

5 . The method of claim 4 , wherein at least one of R 1 , R 2 , R 3 , and R 4 further comprises at least one functional group selected from the group consisting of an ether, an ester, an anhydride, an amine, an amide, an alcohol, a sulfate, a sulfonate, a thiol, an alkoxide, a sulfoxide, a ketone, an aldehyde, a carboxylate, a nitroalkane, a nitrile, a hydroxide, a halide, an alkene group, an alkyne group, an aryl group, a cyclic group, an alkyl group, an acyl group, an allyl group, and any combination thereof.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the substantially purified OMSAM composition comprises at least about 95% of OMSAM particulates by weight thereof.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the gangue particulates are substantially non-swellable materials.

8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the SAM particulates are substantially swellable materials in an aqueous fluid, and wherein the OMSAM particulates are substantially swellable materials in a hydrocarbon fluid.

9 . The method of claim 1 , grinding the crude mineral particulate composition that has been contacted with the quaternary ammonium surfactant, produces a mixture of OMSAM particulates and gangue particulates having a size in the range of from about 0.1 μm to about 100 μm.

10 . A method comprising:
providing a crude mineral composition comprising surface active minerals (“SAM”) and gangue; drying the crude mineral composition to have a first moisture content of less than about 20%; grinding the crude mineral composition to produce a crude mineral particulate composition comprising SAM particulates and gangue particulates, contacting the crude mineral particulate composition with a quaternary ammonium surfactant,
wherein at least a portion of the SAM particulates react with the quaternary ammonium surfactant to form organically modified surface active mineral (“OMSAM”) particulates;
grinding the crude mineral particulate composition that has been contacted with the quaternary ammonium surfactant; separating at least a portion of the OMSAM particulates from the gangue particulates using an air classifier, thereby forming a substantially purified OMSAM composition,
wherein the separation is based on at least one of the size and density of the OMSAM particulates; and
introducing the substantially purified OMSAM composition into a substantially hydrocarbon-based fluid to form an OMSAM fluid.

11 . The method of claim 10 , further comprising drying the crude mineral particulate composition that has been contacted with the quaternary ammonium surfactant to have a second moisture content of less than about 20% prior to the step of: grinding the crude mineral particulate composition that has been contacted with the quaternary ammonium surfactant.

12 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the SAM particulates in the crude mineral composition are natural or synthetic, and selected from the group consisting of a member of the smectite family, a member of the illite family, a member of the palygorskite-sepiolite phyllosilicate family, a member of the kaolinite family, a member of the zeolite tectosilicate family, analcime, chabazite, clinoptilolite, erionite, ferrierite, heulandite, laumontite, mordenite, phillipsite natrolite, stilbite, scolecite, nontronite, bentonite, hectorite, attapulgite, smectite, vermiculite, swellable fluoromica, montmorillonite, beidellite, saponite, sepiolite, kaolin, any cation exchanged version thereof, and any combination thereof.

13 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the quaternary ammonium surfactant is selected from the group consisting of a dialkyl dihydrogenated tallow ammonium surfactant, a bis-decyl-diethyl ammonium surfactant, a myristyltrimethyl ammonium surfactant, a cetyltrimethyl ammonium surfactant, a dodecyltrimethyl ammonium surfactant, an ethylhexadecyldimethyl ammonium surfactant, a decyltrimethyl ammonium surfactant, a hexadecyltrimethyl ammonium surfactant, a didodecyldimethyl ammonium surfactant, any with a chloride counter ion, any with a bromine counter ion, any with a methyl sulfate ion, a surfactant according to Formula 1, and any combination thereof,
wherein Formula 1 has the formula:

where R 1 , R 2 , R 3 , and R 4 are independently selectable C1-C22 groups and X− is one of a fluoride, chloride, bromide, iodide, an alkyl sulfate, acetate, nitrite, bicar

Assignees

• Halliburton Energy Services Inc

Inventors

• Frantz Eric Benjamin

Classifications

• B01D17/0217 Primary

  by centrifugal force · CPC title

• C09K8/035 Primary

  Organic additives · CPC title

• C09K8/34

  Organic liquids · CPC title

• E21B21/062

  by mixing components · CPC title

• B02C4/44

  Cooling or heating rollers or bars · CPC title