Abstract:
An effective stress corrosion cracking (SCC) inhibiting amount of a corrosion inhibitor is added into a blend of fuel and ethanol that contacts a metal, wherein the corrosion inhibitor is an organic acid selected from citric acid, ascorbic acid, succinic acid, pyruvic acid, maleic acid, oxaloacetic acid, oxalosuccinic acid, ketoglutaric acid, isocitric acid, malic acid, aconitic acid, fumaric acid, isomers of these organic acids, and a combination thereof. For example, the corrosion inhibitors inhibit stress corrosion cracking of pipeline grade metal pipe at ethanol concentrations greater than fifteen percent. In one embodiment, the corrosion inhibitor is added into a blend of fuel and ethanol flowing through a pipeline at a plurality of injection points spaced apart along the length of the pipeline. In one option, the corrosion inhibitor is ammoniated to form the ammonium salt of the organic acid. In another option, the foregoing corrosion inhibitors are used in combination with one or more conventional corrosion inhibitors in an amount that is effective to inhibit general corrosion.
Abstract:
This invention relates to dispersions and powders of micro gel particles, and more specifically, at least in some instances, dispersions of micro gel particles formed from crosslinked water-soluble or swellable polymers, and methods of preparing such micro gel particle dispersions. In one aspect, the invention provides a method of preparing synthetic micro gel particles, comprising forming a reaction mixture by dissolving or swelling a water-soluble or water-swellable unsaturated monomer, unsaturated crosslinking agent, and radical initiator in a common solvent that is substantially inert toward chain transfer reactions, wherein the monomer and the crosslinking agent polymerize to form crosslinked polymer micro gel particles that are insoluble or at most swellable in the common solvent.
Abstract:
A method for quantitative evaluation of emulsion stability using Critical Electric Field (CEF) determinations over a range of conditions, such as a range of temperatures, demulsifier compositions, or demulsifier concentrations. The method includes determining the CEF for a series of emulsions that differ substantially only in their internal phase volume ratio. A plot of CEF values as a function of the inverse of the internal phase volume ratio is characterized by a linear slope. Using the slope, a theoretical CEF value can be determined by extrapolating to where the inverse of the internal phase volume ratio is about one. The slope for a given emulsion series is associated with the relative energy barrier to flocculation and the theoretical critical electric field for a given emulsion series is associated with the relative energy barrier to coalescence. Comparative studies are performed using this method.
Abstract:
Air and ammonia gas are introduced into a subterranean formation during the in-situ combustion to increase the mobility of hydrocarbons in a subterranean formation and facilitate recovery of the hydrocarbons from the subterranean formation. The air supports in-situ combustion of a portion of the hydrocarbon within the subterranean formation to form water and establish a combustion front. The ammonia gas contacts the hydrocarbons ahead of the combustion front and reacts in-situ with naphthenic acid in the hydrocarbon to form a surfactant. The hydrocarbons, water and surfactant then form an oil-in-water emulsion that drains more freely through the formation. A production well, in fluid communication with the hydrocarbons ahead of the combustion front, may be used to remove the oil-in-water emulsion from the subterranean formation.
Abstract:
This invention discloses, compositions of aqueous fluids comprising one or more dispersion polymer(s), wherein the dispersion polymer comprises 96 to 100 mole percent of one or more nonionic monomer units and 0 to 4 mole percent of one or more cationic or anionic monomer units; and has a molecular weight of at least 100,000. The invention also discloses the method(s) of using one or more such dispersion polymer(s), comprising adding to or mixing with the aqueous fluid a friction-reducing amount of the polymer(s), before, during or after a turbulent flow is induced. Nonionic dispersion polymers consistently render substantially greater extents of friction reduction than their ionic counterparts. A dispersion polymer (formed by dispersion polymerization) provides up to four times as much friction reduction as the same polymer in solution when used at the same dosage. Moreover, unlike ionic dispersion polymers, nonionic dispersion polymers are intrinsically compatible with charged oilfield species such as multi-valence brine(s), quaternary amine-based corrosion inhibitors and biocides.
Abstract:
Alkyl phosphonates prepared from amino acids suitable for use in inhibiting scale. The phosphonates are obtained as reaction mixtures where the level of alkyl phosphonation is deliberately controlled to provide only partial alkyl phosphonation of the amino acid. The resulting alkyl phosphonates exhibit improved environmental properties compared to the fully substituted species, while still exhibiting acceptable efficacy in the control of scale. The compositions possess advantages over existing phosphonates in that they exhibit higher biodegradation by method OECD 306. They also offer lower toxicity to marine life compared to the fully substituted species and are not expected to bioaccumulate.
Abstract:
A composition useful as a biodegradable corrosion inhibitor and a biocide that comprises a polymeric quaternary ammonium salt prepared by a reaction of a pplyepihalohydrin with a tertiary amine, wherein the polyepihalohydrin is prepared by a polymerization reaction of an epihalohydrin in the presence of a monomeric poly alcohol and delivered to the corrosion system in a solvent carrier.
Abstract:
A method for using a defoaming formulation useful as an antifoaming agent, a foam controlling agent, or a defoaming agent. The method comprises adding the defoaming formulation that comprises one or more alkoxylates species to a system wherein the one or more alkoxylate species is characterized as Acc-[OX) I ] n , wherein Acc is an acceptor having a functionality of n ranging between 1 and about 100. (Ox) I are oxide blacks, each oxide block having a composition comprising from 1 to 150,000 units of oxide species selected from ethylene oxide, propylene oxide, bytylene oxide or combinations thereof and I ranges between 1 and about 10. The composition of adjacent oxide blocks is different and the average molecular weight of the one or more alkoxylate species is greater than about 2500 gmole -1 .
Abstract:
A method and a quaternary ammonium or phosphonium composition used therein for inhibiting, retarding, mitigating, reducing, controlling and/or delaying formation of hydrocarbon hydrates or agglomerates of hydrates. The method may be applied to prevent or reduce or mitigate plugging of conduits, pipes, transfer lines, valves, and other places or equipment where hydrocarbon hydrate solids may form under the conditions. At least one quaternary ammonium or phosphonium compound is added into the process stream, where the compound may be mixed with another compound selected from other amino alcohols, esters, quaternary ammonium, phosphonium or sulphonium salts, betaines, amine oxides, amides, simple amine salts, and combinations thereof.
Abstract:
The invention provides a method of increasing the retention of a scale inhibitor on a rock material comprising preconditioning the rock material with a positively charged bridging agent and contacting the rock material with said scale inhibitor.