Patent ID: 7458384
Filing Date: 2008-12-02
Classification: F17D,Y10T

Abstract:
1. An efficient method of providing non-agglomerated, nano-sized particles, suspended in a non-polar hydrocarbon solvent, which uniformly incorporates a surfactant and reduces pressure drop of fluid streams in pipelines, comprising the steps of: a) preparing an aqueous solution of a rare earth metal salt; b) dissolving a surfactant in a nonpolar hydrocarbon solvent; c) combining the aqueous solution of the rare earth metal salt with the nonpolar solvent and surfactant of step b) into a mixture; d) stirring the mixture of step c) to form micelles; e) treating the micelles with hydrogen peroxide; f) allowing nucleation and growth of nano-particles of a rare earth metal oxide; and g) inputting the rare earth metal oxide nano-particle reaction product of step f) into a pipeline.