US4094781A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Separation of solids from tar sands extract
Assignee: Lummus Technology LLC
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Filing: 1976-11-10
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Granted: 1978-06-13
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Expires: 1996-11-10
Abstract
Abstract Solids are separated from a tar sands extract by gravity settling or centrifugation in the presence of a liquid promoter which promotes and enhances the separation of the solid material. The liquid promoter has a characterization factor of at least 9.75, a 5 volume percent distillation temperature of at least 250° F and a 95 volume percent distillation temperature of at least 350° F and no greater than 750° F. As a result, liquid product is obtained without the necessity of preliminary coking of the entire extract.
Inventors
- 👤 George J. Snell
- 👤 Raymond H. Long
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-01 05:22
CPC Classifications
C; C10; C10G; C10G1/00; C10G1/04; C10G1/045
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 12
Claim 1
Independent Claim
104 words
A process for separating finely divided sand from a tar sands extract, comprising: separating said finely divided sand from said tar sands extract by gravity difference separation in the presence of a promoter liquid, said promoter liquid having a characterization factor of at least 9.75, a 5 volume percent distillation temperature of at least 250° F and a 95 volume percent distillation temperature of at least 350° F and no greater than 750° F and being present in an amount sufficient to promote and enhance separation of a tar sands liquid essentially free of sand; and recovering tar sands liquid essentially free of sand.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
104 words
A process for separating finely divided sand from a tar sands extract, comprising: separating said finely divided sand from said tar sands extract by gravity difference separation in the presence of a promoter liquid, said promoter liquid having a characterization factor of at least 9.75, a 5 volume percent distillation temperature of at least 250° F and a 95 volume percent distillation temperature of at least 350° F and no greater than 750° F and being present in an amount sufficient to promote and enhance separation of a tar sands liquid essentially free of sand; and recovering tar sands liquid essentially free of sand.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
30 words
The process of claim 1 wherein the promoter liquid is present in an amount to provide a promoter liquid to tar sands extract weight ratio of from 0.2:1 to 3.0:1.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
19 words
The process of claim 2 wherein the recovered tar sands liquid contains less than 0.2%, by weight, of sand.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
34 words
The process of claim 3 wherein the separation is effected by gravity setting with the recovered tar sands liquid being recovered as an overflow and a sand containing liquid being recovered as an underflow.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
23 words
The process of claim 4 wherein the recovered tar sands liquid is recovered in an overall yield of at least 65 weight percent.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
34 words
The process of claim 4 wherein the promoter liquid has a 5 volume percent distillation temperature of at least 310° F and a 95 volume percent distillation temperature of no greater than 600° F.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
13 words
The process of claim 6 wherein the characterization factor is at least 11.0.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
33 words
The process of claim 4 wherein the recovered sand containing liquid underflow is stripped of components boiling below about 800° to 1000° F to recover additional tar sands liquid essntially free of sand.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
23 words
The process of claim 8 wherein the stripped underflow is coked to produce coke and further tar sands liquid essentially free of sand.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
26 words
The process of claim 1 wherein at least a portion of the tar sands liquid essentially free of sand is hydrogenated to produce a crude oil.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
51 words
The process of claim 10 wherein the hydrogenation is effected in the presence of a catalyst at a temperature of from 500° to 900° F and a pressure of from 500 to 5000 psig to produce a crude oil having a hydrogen to carbon atomic ratio of from 1.2:1 to 1.8:1.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1981-06-12 | 1981-12-12 | 1982-06-13 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1985-06-12 | 1985-12-12 | 1986-06-13 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1989-06-12 | 1989-12-12 | 1990-06-13 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |