Compositions and methods for recovering and/or removing reagents from porous media

Abstract

A composition and method for displacing, dissolving, extracting, recovering, and/or removing solvent and/or any solvent-associated liquids from a solvent-treated material or penetrating through pores or the surface of a solvent-treated material using a solvent-extracting composition for contacting solvent-treated material and separating the solvent and any solvent-associated liquids from the solvent-treated material as well as the solvent-extracting composition.

1 . A method for dissolving, displacing, extracting, recovering, and/or removing a solvent and solvent-associated liquids trapped within pores of a solvent-treated material comprising the steps of:
 a) providing a solvent-extracting composition,   b) contacting said solvent-treated material with said solvent-extracting composition such that said solvent-extracting composition penetrates into pores of said solvent-treated material,   c) forming a recovery mixture, wherein the recovery mixture comprises at least a portion of the solvent and solvent-associated liquids extracted into the solvent-extracting composition; and   d) separating the recovery mixture from any residual material containing non-extracted material from the solvent-treated material that is not extracted into the solvent-extracting composition.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising the step of:
 separating the recovery mixture into a first portion and a second portion, the first portion comprising a solvent product stream that includes at least a portion of the solvent and any solvent-associated liquids extracted from the pores of the solvent-treated material, the second portion comprising at least a portion of the solvent-extracting composition.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said solvent-treated material is selected from plastics, coal, oil shale, tar (oil) sands, a reservoir containing crude oil, crude oil, natural gas, rubber, rubber that has been devulcanized using turpentine liquid, or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said solvent is a turpentine liquid, an alkane, an aromatic, an aliphatic amine, an aromatic amine, carbon bisulfide, a solvent manufactured in petroleum refining, a decant oil, a light cycle oil, naphtha, a solvent manufactured in dry distilling coal, a solvent manufactured in fractionating liquefied coal, benzene, naphthalene, toluene, pentane, heptane, hexane, benzene, toluene, xylene, naphthalene, anthracene, tetraline, triethylamine, aniline, carbon bisulfide, or a mixture thereof. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein said turpentine liquid is selected from the group consisting of natural turpentine, synthetic turpentine, mineral turpentine, pine oil, alpha-pinene, beta-pinene, alpha-terpineol, beta-terpineol, gamma-terpineol, 3-carene, anethole, dipentene (p-mentha-1,8-diene), terpene resins, alpha-terpene, beta-terpene, gamma terpene, nopol, pinane, camphene, p-cymene, anisaldehyde, 2-pinane hydroperoxide, 3,7-dimethyl-1,6-octadiene, isobornyl acetate, terpin hydrate, ocimene, 2-pinanol, dihydromyrcenol, isoborneol, alloocimene, alloocimene alcohols, geraniol, 2-methoxy-2,6-dimethyl-7,8-epoxyoctane, camphor, p-menthan-8-ol, alpha-terpinyl acetate, citral, citronellol, 7-methoxydihydrocitronellal, 10-camphorsulphonic acid, p-menthene, p-menthan-8-yl acetate, citronellal, 7-hydroxydihydrocitronellal, menthol, menthone, polymers thereof, and mixtures thereof. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said solvent-extracting composition comprises an alcohol, an organic compound with a hydroxyl functional group, an organic or inorganic solvent, or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said solvent-extracting composition comprises one or more acyclic or cyclic alcohols. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said solvent-extracting composition comprises methanol, ethanol, propanol, isopropanol, butanol, isobutanol, pentanol, 1-Pentanol, 3-Methyl-1-butanol, 2-Methyl-1-butanol, 2,2-Dimethyl-1-propanol, 3-Pentanol, 2-Pentanol, 3-Methyl-2-butanol, 2-Methyl-2-butanol, hexanol, 1-Hexanol, 2-Hexanol, 3-Hexanol, 2-Methyl-1-pentanol, 3-Methyl-1-pentanol, 4-Methyl-1-pentanol, 2-Methyl-2-pentanol, 3-Methyl-2-pentanol, 4-Methyl-2-pentanol, 2-Methyl-3-pentanol, Tertiary 3-Methyl-3-pentanol, Primary 2,2-Dimethyl-1-butanol, 2,3-Dimethyl-1-butanol, 3,3-Dimethyl-1-butanol, 2,3-Dimethyl-2-butanol, 3,3-Dimethyl-2-butanol, 2-Ethyl-1-butanol, lower aliphatic alcohols, benzene, toluene, methyl ethyl ketone (MEK), furfural, tetrahydrofuran (THF), acetone, hydrofluoric acid, hexane, xylene, or a mixture thereof. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said solvent-extracting composition comprises methanol, ethanol, propanol, isopropanol, butanol, isobutanol, pentanol, hexanol, or a mixture thereof. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said solvent-extracting composition further comprises a second liquid selected from alkanes, aromatics, aliphatic amines, aromatic amines, carbon bisulfide, vegetable oils, solvents manufactured in petroleum refining, dry distilling coal, fractionating liquefied coal, and fractionating extracted hydrocarbons from tar (oil) sands and oil shale, or a mixture thereof. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the ratio of alcohol, the organic compound with a hydroxyl functional group, and the organic or inorganic solvent in the solvent-extracting composition to the second liquid is greater than or equal to about 1:1 by volume. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said solvent-treated material is contacted with said solvent-extracting composition in a ratio range of about 1:6 to 15:1 by weight. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the solvent-treated material is contacted with said solvent-extracting composition in a ratio of about 1:4 to 10:1 by weight. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the solvent-treated material is contacted with said solvent-extracting composition in a ratio of about 1:3 to 6:1 by weight. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the amount of the solvent-extracting composition in said recovery mixture is about 10 to about 2500 wt. % of the solvent-treated material. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the amount of the solvent-extracting composition in said recovery mixture is about 30 to about 200 wt. % of the solvent-treated material. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the amount of the solvent-extracting composition in said recovery mixture is about 50 to about 150 wt. % of the solvent-treated material. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the amount of the solvent-extracting composition in said recovery mixture is about 100 wt. % of the solvent-treated material. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said contacting is carried out at a temperature within the range of about 2° C. to about 400° C. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein said contacting is carried out at a temperature within the range of about 15° C. to about 150° C. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said solvent-treated material is contacted with said solvent-extracting composition for 1 to 300 minutes. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein said solvent-treated material is contacted with said solvent-extracting composition for 5 to 60 minutes. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said contacting step (b) is repeated 1 to 10 times step (c). 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said solvent-extracting composition comprises at least 10% alcohol. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said solvent-extracting composition comprises at least 50% alcohol. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said solvent-extracting composition comprises at least 90% alcohol. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said contacting extracts at least 50% of solvent and any solvent-associated liquids contained within said solvent-treated material before said contacting. 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 27 , wherein said contacting extracts at least 80% of solvent and any solvent-associated liquids contained within said solvent-treated material before said contacting. 
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said contacting further comprises boiling and refluxing said solvent-extracting composition. 
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said method comprises contacting said solvent-treated material with a substantially non-aqueous solvent-extracting composition. 
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said method does not involve the use of water or an emulsion. 
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said method does not involve the use of salt or salt solution. 
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said solvent-extracting composition comprises a surfactant. 
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said solvent-extracting composition is surfactant-free or substantially surfactant-free. 
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said solvent-extracting composition is micelle-free or substantially micelle-free. 
     
     
         36 . A method of extracting hydrocarbon-containing organic matter from oil shale or tar (oil) sands into turpentine liquids and/or other associated liquids and subsequently dissolving, extracting, recovering, and/or removing turpentine liquids and/or other associated liquids from a turpentine liquid-treated material, comprising the steps of extracting the hydrocarbon-containing organic matter by a process comprising:
 providing a hydrocarbon-extracting liquid comprising a non-aqueous turpentine liquid;   contacting oil shale or tar (oil) sands with said hydrocarbon-extracting liquid such that an extraction mixture is formed, the extraction mixture comprising at least a portion of hydrocarbon-containing organic matter from said oil shale or tar (oil) sands extracted into the turpentine liquid;   separating the extraction mixture from a residual turpentine liquid-treated material containing non-soluble material from the oil shale or tar (oil) sands that is not soluble in the hydrocarbon-extracting liquid;   providing a solvent-extracting composition;   contacting said residual turpentine liquid-treated material containing non-soluble material from the oil shale or tar (oil) sands that is not soluble in the hydrocarbon-extracting liquid with said solvent-extracting composition such that said solvent-extracting composition penetrates into pores of said residual turpentine liquid-treated material,   forming a recovery mixture, wherein the recovery mixture comprises at least a portion of the turpentine liquid and any associated liquids extracted into the solvent-extracting composition; and   separating the recovery mixture from any material containing non-extracted material from the turpentine liquid-treated material that is not extracted into the solvent-extracting composition.