Processes for removing metal particles from water

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017129784-A1
Application number	US-201514933084-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Nov 5, 2015
Priority date	Nov 5, 2015
Publication date	May 11, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

Disclosed is a process to remove neutrally buoyant metal particles composed of solid particles and droplets of oil from water such as produced water from petroleum production or refinery wastewater. In one aspect, the water is contacted with oleophilic adsorbent materials which adsorb the neutrally buoyant metal particles. Also disclosed is a process for removing metal particles from a fluid volume that includes crude oil and/or condensate. The fluid volume is washed with a volume of water to form a volume of wastewater, thereby transferring at least a portion of the metal particles from the fluid into the wastewater. The volume of wastewater including the transferred metal particles is then contacted with an oleophilic adsorbent material wherein the neutrally buoyant metal particles are adsorbed by the adsorbent material. The adsorbent material is then separated from the wastewater. Finally, the treated wastewater is used to wash the crude and/or condensate.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A process for removing metal particles from water, comprising contacting a volume of water containing neutrally buoyant metal particles with an oleophilic adsorbent material wherein the neutrally buoyant metal particles are adsorbed by the oleophilic adsorbent material.

2 . The process of claim 1 , further comprising separating the oleophilic adsorbent material from the volume of water thereby forming a treated volume of water.

3 . The process of claim 1 wherein the oleophilic adsorbent material comprises a material selected from the group consisting of a carbon material, a polymeric material, a clay material and a combination thereof.

4 . The process of claim 3 wherein the polymeric material is selected from the group consisting of polypropylene, polyethylene, polyurethane, polyvinyl chloride, polystyrene and a combination thereof.

5 . The process of claim 3 wherein the polymeric material comprises polypropylene.

6 . The process of claim 3 wherein the polymeric material contains recycled polymer.

7 . The process of claim 3 wherein the clay material is selected from the group consisting of bentonite, pulverulent clay, montmorillonite, kaolin, halloysite and combinations thereof.

8 . The process of claim 1 , further comprising mixing the volume of water containing neutrally buoyant metal particles with the oleophilic adsorbent material.

9 . The process of claim 2 wherein the separating step is carried out by a separation process selected from the group consisting of allowing the oleophilic adsorbent material to settle by gravity, filtering the oleophilic adsorbent material from the volume of water and combinations thereof.

10 . The process of claim 1 wherein the oleophilic adsorbent material is in an amount of from 0.01 wt % to 25 wt % based on the weight of the volume of water containing neutrally buoyant metal particles.

11 . The process of claim 1 wherein the oleophilic adsorbent material is in the form of a filter body and the volume of water contacts the filter body.

12 . The process of claim 11 wherein the oleophilic adsorbent material has a superficial area to volume ratio of from 1 to 1,000,000.

13 . The process of claim 1 wherein the contacting the volume of water containing neutrally buoyant metal particles with the oleophilic adsorbent material occurs in an adsorption bed at a liquid hourly space velocity of from about 0.1 hr-1 to about 1000 hr-1.

14 . The process of claim 13 wherein the liquid hourly space velocity is from about 1 hr-1 to about 100 hr-1.

15 . The process of claim 13 wherein the liquid hourly space velocity is from about 5 hr-1 to about 200 hr-1.

16 . The process of claim 2 , further comprising using the treated volume of water to wash crude, condensate or a combination thereof.

17 . The process of claim 1 wherein at least about 50 wt % of the neutrally buoyant metal particles in the volume of water are adsorbed by the oleophilic adsorbent material.

18 . The process of claim 1 wherein at least about 75 wt % of the neutrally buoyant metal particles in the volume of water are adsorbed by the oleophilic adsorbent material.

19 . The process of claim 1 wherein at least about 90 wt % of the neutrally buoyant metal particles in the volume of water are adsorbed by the oleophilic adsorbent material.

20 . The process of claim 1 wherein at least about 95 wt % of the neutrally buoyant metal particles in the volume of water are adsorbed by the oleophilic adsorbent material.

21 . The process of claim 1 wherein at least about 99 wt % of the neutrally buoyant metal particles in the volume of water are adsorbed by the oleophilic adsorbent material.

22 . The process of claim 1 wherein the neutrally buoyant metal particles contain mercury.

23 . The process of claim 1 wherein the volume of water containing neutrally buoyant metal particles comprises wastewater from a hydrocarbon production operation.

24 . A process for removing metal particles from crude oil, condensate or a combination thereof, comprising:
a. washing a fluid volume comprising crude oil, condensate or a combination thereof and comprising metal particles with a volume of water to form a volume of wastewater thereby transferring at least a portion of the metal particles from the fluid volume into the volume of wastewater wherein the metal particles in the wastewater are neutrally buoyant metal particles; b. contacting the volume of wastewater including the transferred neutrally buoyant metal particles with an oleophilic adsorbent material wherein the neutrally buoyant metal particles are adsorbed by the oleophilic adsorbent material; c. separating the oleophilic adsorbent material from the volume of wastewater thereby forming a treated volume of wastewater; and d. using the treated volume of wastewater in step (a) to wash the crude, condensate or combination thereof.

25 . The process of claim 24 wherein the metal particles contain mercury.

Assignees

• Chevron Usa Inc

Inventors

• O'Rear Dennis John
• Hoelen Thomas Peter
• Grice Kevin J

Classifications

• B01J20/12 Primary

  Naturally occurring clays or bleaching earth · CPC title

• C02F2103/365

  from petrochemical industry (e.g. refineries) · CPC title

• C10G33/06

  with mechanical means, e.g. by filtration · CPC title

• C02F2101/20

  Heavy metals or heavy metal compounds · CPC title

• B01J20/20

  comprising free carbon; comprising carbon obtained by carbonising processes · CPC title