US5196129A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Stable, single-phased solutions of water-in-oil microemulsions derived from crude oil and allied products and which contain microorganisms and/or parts thereof
Assignee: Eni Tecnologie SpA
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Filing: 1990-07-10
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Granted: 1993-03-23
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Expires: 2010-07-10
Abstract
Abstract Stable, single-phased solutions of water-in-oil microemulsions which contain microorganisms and/or parts thereof are described. They are obtained by adding to crude oil and/or at least one product of the refining of same an aqueous concentrated solution of microorganisms and/or parts thereof, in such a way that said aqueous solution is solubilized in crude oil or the refined product and that the blend thus obtained has the form of a stable, single-phased solution.
Inventors
- 👤 Pier L. Luisi
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-06 09:57
CPC Classifications
C; C10; C10L; C10L1/00; C10L1/32; C10L1/328
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 21
Claim 1
Independent Claim
61 words
A stable water-in-oil microemulsion which contains microorganisms for carrying out microbiological processes obtained by adding to crude oil an aqueous, concentrated solution of microorganisms selected from the group consisting of bacteria, animal and vegetable cells in such a way that said aqueous solution becomes solubilized in said crude oil, the thus-prepared blend being in the form of a stable water-in-oil microemulsion.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
61 words
A stable water-in-oil microemulsion which contains microorganisms for carrying out microbiological processes obtained by adding to crude oil an aqueous, concentrated solution of microorganisms selected from the group consisting of bacteria, animal and vegetable cells in such a way that said aqueous solution becomes solubilized in said crude oil, the thus-prepared blend being in the form of a stable water-in-oil microemulsion.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
18 words
The microemulsion of claim 1, characterized in that at least one capillary-active substance is dissolved in crude oil.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
29 words
The microemulsion of claim 2 wherein said capillary-active substance is present in the proportion of from 0.1% to 30% by weight relative to the weight of the crude oil.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
29 words
The microemulsion of claim 2, wherein said capillary-active substance is present in the proportion of from 0.5% to 15% by weight relative to the weight of the crude oil.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
28 words
The microemulsion according to claims 1 or 2, characterized in that said capillary-active substance is selected from the group consisting of anionic, cationic, neutral and zwitter-ionic capillary-active substances.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
37 words
The microemulsion of claim 5, wherein said capillary-active substance is selected from the group consisting of polyoxyethylene ethers of higher aliphatic alcohols, polysorbates, sorbitan esters, lipids, lecithin, a mixture of phospholipids, bis(2-ethylhexyl sodium) sulfosuccinate and, ammonium salts.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
18 words
The microemulsion of claim 1, wherein said bacteria possess a reducing or an oxidizing action toward sulfur-containing products.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
37 words
The bacteria of claim 1, wherein said solution is selected from the group consisting of Thiobacillus ferroxidans, Sulfolobus acidocaldarius, Pseudomonas alkaligenes, Pseudomonas janii, Pseudomonas abikonensis, E. coli, Alkaligenes denitrificans, Desulfobibrio desulfuricans, Arthrobacter spe., photosynthetic bacteria and Cyanobacteria.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
30 words
The microemulsion of claim 1, wherein said animal or vegetable cells are yeast cells of the different strains, which possess a demolishing activity or a transposition capability toward aromatic compounds.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
21 words
The microemulsion of claim 9, wherein said yeast cells are selected from the group consisting of Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Candida utilis.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
23 words
The microemulsion of claim 1, characterized in that the parts of microorganisms are selected from spores, heterocysts and organellae of the microorganism cell.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
23 words
The microemulsion of claim 11, wherein said organellae of the microorganism cell is selected from the group consisting of mitochondria, microsomes and lysosomes.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
19 words
The microemulsion of claim 1, characterized in that at least one co-capillary-active agent is added to the capillary-active substance.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
22 words
The microemulsion of claim 13, wherein said co-capillary-active agent is selected from the group consisting of fatty acids, alcohols and halogen-containing compounds.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
23 words
The microemulsion of claim 13, wherein said co-capillary-active agent is in an amount of 0.01-1,000% relative to the weight of the capillary-active substance.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
25 words
The microemulsion of claim 13, wherein said co-capillary-active agent is in an amount of 0.1-100% by weight relative to the weight of the capillary-active substance.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
28 words
The microemulsion of claim 1, characterized in that in 100 parts by volume of crude oil and from 0.001-100 parts by volume of said aqueous solution are present.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
20 words
The microemulsion of claim 1, characterized in that said aqueous, concentrated solution additionally contains nutrients and salts for the microorganisms.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
63 words
A process for preparing a stable water-in-oil microemulsion which contains microorganisms for carrying out microbiological processes selected from the group consisting of bacteria, animal and vegetable cells, comprising; adding a concentrated aqueous solution of microorganisms, to crude oil, such that said aqueous solution becomes solubilized in said crude oil and so that the prepared blend has the form of a stable, water-in-oil microemulsion.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
63 words
A process for preparing a stable water-in-oil microemulsion which contains microorganisms for carrying out microbiological processes selected from the group consisting of bacteria, animal and vegetable cells, comprising; adding a concentrated aqueous solution of microorganisms, to crude oil, such that said aqueous solution becomes solubilized in said crude oil and so that the prepared blend has the form of a stable, water-in-oil microemulsion.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1996-03-22 | 1996-09-21 | 1997-03-23 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2000-03-22 | 2000-09-21 | 2001-03-23 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2004-03-22 | 2004-09-21 | 2005-03-23 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |