Patent GB-389810-A (GB)
Title: A method for treating bituminous materials and for obtaining aqueous dispersions therefrom
IPC: C08L95/00
Filed: 1931-06-18
Abstract: The viscosity of aqueous dispersions of petroleum residues is increased by the incorporation in the residue, or in the oils from which such residues are subsequently obtained, of small quantities of substances serving, by increase of osmotic pressure on dispersion, to effect absorption of water from the continuous phase.  Examples of suitable substances are alkali chlorides, nitrates, sulphates, acetates, water-soluble acids and hydroxides, carbohydrates such as cane-sugar, alcohols such as glycerins and glycol, phenols such as cresol, lyophile colloids such as gelatine and agar-agar, and trichlorethylene which, in the presence of water, splits off hydrochloric acid.  The particles of the substance when incorporated must be substantially smaller than those of the dispersion when formed.  The substances may be added as aqueous or other solutions and to the whole or any part of the materials to be treated. Dispersing agents producing a water-in-oil dispersion may be added to ensure an effective distribution; such agents include water insoluble soaps such as the oleates, resinates and sulphonates of aluminium, magnesium and calcium.  Viscosity stabilizers such as alkali sulphonates and gum dammar may also be added.  The materials when treated are dispersed by known means using known dispersing and stabilizing agents.  Examples of the invention are as follows: (1) An asphaltic base crude oil, topped oil, or fuel oil has dispersed in it, by means of a colloid mill, 1,75 per cent of its weight of 0,57 per cent sodium chloride solution, and is then distilled to obtain a residual pitch which is subsequently emulsified in a Hurrel mill with 1,5 per cent potassium oleate solution, the dispersion containing 58 per cent of the residual pitch; (2) A Venezuelan pitch is liquefied and 3,40 per cent of its weight of 0,57 per cent sodium chloride solution dispersed in it before dispersion as in (1); (3) 0,2 per cent of a 20 per cent potassium nitrate solution is employed and the final dispersion effected with a solution containing 1 per cent of potassium oleate and 0.05 per cent of potassium hydroxide; (4) A Venezuelan bitumen has incorporated with it a mixture containing 0,2 per cent of its weight of aluminium stearate or oleate, 0,05 per cent of potassium chloride, 0,1-0,5 per cent of kerosene, and 0,4 per cent of water, and is finally dispersed as in (3) (5) The mixture in (4) is replaced by 0,3 per cent of the magnesium salt of a sulphonated mineral oil, 0,15 per cent of spindle oil, 0,06 per cent of sodium chloride, and 0,09 per cent of water; (6) the sodium chloride of (2) is replaced by 0,3-0,5 per cent of glycerine, or 0,2 per cent of glycerine and 0,02 per cent of sodium chloride, and dispersed as in (4); (7) 0,01 per cent of a sodium mineral oil sulphonate is added to the treating agent of (6); (8) an oil-distillation bitumen has added to it, before dispersion as in (4), 1 per cent of an emulsion of equal parts of 20 per cent aqueous sodium acetate solution and 4 per cent gum dammar solution in mineral oil; (9) Venezuelan bitumen is treated while hot with 0,1 per cent of concentrated hydrochloric acid and dispersed in an equal quantity of water containing 1 per cent of potassium oleate and 0,1 per cent of potassium hydroxide; (10) 1 per cent of a 20 per cent gelatine solution is intimately mixed with the bitumen of (9) and dispersion effected as in (4).