NALCO COMPANY Patent applications |
Patent application number | Title | Published |
20160122196 | Use of Polyols as Scale Control Reagents in the Mining Processes - In the mining process, linear, branched, hyperbranched or dendrimeric polyols or mixtures thereof are employed as process stabilization aids for aqueous solutions and, or suspensions of metal salts. A specific application area of the polyols is the stabilization of bauxite liquor in the Bayer process of producing alumina from bauxite. | 05-05-2016 |
20160024395 | Method of Reducing Corrosion and Corrosion Byproduct Deposition in a Crude Unit - A method of optimizing system parameters in a crude unit to reduce corrosion and corrosion byproduct deposition in the crude unit is disclosed and claimed. The method includes measuring or predicting properties associated with the system parameters and using an automated controller to analyze the properties to cause adjustments in the chemical program to optimize the system parameters. Adjusting the system parameters effectively controls corrosion in the crude unit by reducing the corrosiveness of a fluid in the process stream and/or by protecting the system from a potentially corrosive substance. System parameter sensing probes are arranged at one or more locations in the process stream to allow accurate monitoring of the system parameters in the crude unit. | 01-28-2016 |
20150212007 | Method of Monitoring and Optimizing Additive Concentration in Fuel Ethanol - Disclosed is a method of monitoring and optimizing the concentration of an additive composition in a fuel ethanol. The method includes adding a known amount of the additive composition to the fuel ethanol to create a treated fuel ethanol. A measured fluorescent signal provides information for determining the concentration of the additive composition in the fuel ethanol. A component in the additive composition is capable of providing the fluorescent signal or capable of being chemically derivatized to provide a fluorescent signal or a colorimetric signal. Based upon the measured fluorescent signal or colorimetric signal, the concentration of the additive composition in the fuel ethanol may be adjusted. | 07-30-2015 |
20150160001 | METHOD AND APPARATUS TO MONITOR AND CONTROL SHEET CHARACTERISTICS ON A CREPING PROCESS - The invention embodies methods and apparatuses to monitor and control the characteristics of a creping process. The method involves measuring optical properties of various points along a creped paper sheet and converting those measurements into characteristic defining data. The invention allows for determining the magnitude and distribution of crepe structures and their frequency and distribution. This allows for the generation of information that is accurate and is much more reliable than the coarse guessing that is currently used in the industry. Feeding this information to papermaking process equipment can result in increases in both quality and efficiency in papermaking. | 06-11-2015 |
20150144570 | GLYCERIDES AND FATTY ACID MIXTURES AND METHODS OF USING SAME - The invention provides methods and compositions for green compositions and technologies. In an embodiment, the present invention provides a method of separating a first material from a second material. For example, the method can comprise mixing the first material and the second material in a slurry with a beneficiation composition. The beneficiation composition can comprise one or more glyceride and fatty acid mixtures extracted from a fuel ethanol process. Air bubbles can be provided in the slurry to form bubble-particle aggregates with the first material and the bubble-particle aggregates can be allowed to be separated from the second material. | 05-28-2015 |
20150068921 | METHOD OF MONITORING CORROSION POTENTIAL OF ENGINEERING ALLOYS IN AQUEOUS SYSTEMS - An apparatus and method for measuring and monitoring the corrosion potential of engineering alloys used in aqueous systems is disclosed and claimed. The method is applicable for a variety of alloys including, but not limited to, copper-based, iron-based, nickel-based, other metallic-based alloys, and their combinations. The corrosion potential is typically determined by measuring a voltage between a specific material in the described oxidation-reduction potential measuring device and a reference electrode. Corrosion potentials for specific materials of construction may be used for diagnostic or control purposes. | 03-12-2015 |
20150068748 | COMPOSITIONS AND METHODS FOR DIVERTING INJECTED FLUIDS TO ACHIEVE IMPROVED HYDROCARBON FLUID RECOVERY - The present disclosure is directed to compositions and methods that may be used for enhanced oil recovery, for modifying the permeability of subterranean formations and for increasing the mobilization and/or recovery rate of hydrocarbon fluids present in the formations. The compositions may include, for example, expandable cross linked polymeric microparticles having an unexpanded volume average particle size diameter of from about 0.05 to about 5,000 microns and a cross linking agent content of from about 100 to about 200,000 ppm of hydrolytically labile silyl ester or silyl ether crosslinkers and from 0 to about 300 ppm of non-labile crosslinkers. | 03-12-2015 |
20150060727 | SYNTHESIS OF 7-ACETYLENO QUINONE METHIDE DERIVATIVES AND THEIR APPLICATION AS VINYLIC POLYMERIZATION RETARDERS - The invention provides a method for synthesizing 7-Acetyleno quinone methide compounds that is safe and inexpensive. The method avoids the need for extremely cold reaction temperatures and unlike the prior art does not require any highly explosive materials. The method comprises the steps of:
| 03-05-2015 |
20150059998 | FURNISH PRETREATMENT TO IMPROVE PAPER STRENGTH AID PERFORMANCE IN PAPERMAKING - The invention is directed towards methods, compositions, and apparatus for increasing the strength of paper made out of a furnish having a large proportion of OCC. The method involves the following steps: 1) Providing a paper furnish having a large amount of OCC in it, 2) adding strength promoter to the furnish prior to adding a strength agent to the furnish, 3) adding a strength agent to the furnish, and 4) making a paper product from the furnish. This method allows cheap OCC material to be used in a papermaking process without the quality problems that the anionic trash in OCC typically causes. Thus paper products having low costs and high quality can be produced. | 03-05-2015 |
20140336314 | METHOD OF USING ALDEHYDE-FUNCTIONALIZED POLYMERS TO INCREASE PAPERMACHINE PERFORMANCE AND ENHANCE SIZING - Disclosed herein are compositions and methods to increase paper machine performance and enhance sizing. The compositions include a sizing agent, an emulsifier, and an aqueous component. The emulsifier may be an aldehyde-functionalized polymer. The sizing agent may be selected from rosin size, an alkyl ketene dimer, an alkenyl succinic anhydride, and any combination of these sizing agents. | 11-13-2014 |
20140318724 | METHOD AND CHEMICAL COMPOSITIONS TO IMPROVE EFFICIENCY OF CHEMICAL PULPING - The invention provides methods and compositions for enhancing the digestion of pulp in a chemical pulping process. The method uses ultra-low, economically feasible dosages of BH applied right before the pulping process begins, in a stable alkaline solution fed into white liquor line, to improve the process by saving pulping chemicals, increasing pulp brightness and yield and reducing the kappa number. | 10-30-2014 |
20140315320 | CONTROL OVER HYDROGEN FLUORIDE LEVELS IN OXIDE ETCHANT - The invention is directed towards methods and compositions for identifying the amount of hydrofluoric acid in a buffered oxide etching composition. In buffered oxide etching compositions it is very difficult to measure the amount of hydrofluoric acid because it has varying equilibriums and it is toxic so it hard to handle and sample. When used to manufacture microchips however, incorrect amounts of hydrofluoric acid will ruin those chips. The invention utilizes a unique method of spectrographically measuring the hydrofluoric acid when in contact with added chromogenic agents to obtain exact measurements that are accurate, immediate, and safe. | 10-23-2014 |
20140170302 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MONITORING AND CONTROLLING THE APPLICATION OF PERFORMANCE ENHANCING MATERIALS TO CREPING CYLINDERSTO IMPROVE PROCESS - The invention provides methods and compositions for monitoring and controlling the thickness of coating on a creping cylinder is disclosed. The methodologies involve a coordinated scheme of apparatuses that function to monitor various aspects of a creping cylinder coating so that the thickness of the coating can be determined. | 06-19-2014 |
20140166589 | HIGH TEMPERATURE AND PRESSURE OXIDATION-REDUCTION POTENTIAL MEASURING AND MONITORING DEVICE FOR HOT WATER SYSTEMS - A device for measuring oxidation-reduction potential at operating temperature and pressure in hot water systems is disclosed and claimed. The device includes a flow-through cell, a sensor, and a reference electrode. The components of the device work in conjunction with the other components and have electrical connections that transmit signals to a controller. The controller calculates and determines adjustments to feedwater chemistry for the hot water system. | 06-19-2014 |
20140141443 | DETECTION AND QUANTIFICATION OF NUCLEIC ACID TO ASSESS MICROBIAL BIOMASS IN PAPER DEFECTS AND MACHINE FELTS - The invention is directed towards methods and compositions for identifying the specific microorganisms present in a particular potion of a papermaking processes. The method involves obtaining a sample from the process which is such that little or no live examples of the microorganism remain. However because DNA from the organisms is still present, an analysis which identifies portions of DNA specific to the particular organism will correctly identify the microorganism present. This allows for analysis of infestations present on felts or paper sheets which typically no longer have many live microorganisms on them when samples are taken for analysis. | 05-22-2014 |
20140124451 | SURFACTANT BASED SMALL MOLECULES FOR REDUCING ALUMINOSILICATE SCALE IN THE BAYER PROCESS - The invention provides methods and compositions for inhibiting the accumulation of DSP scale in the liquor circuit of Bayer process equipment. The method includes adding one or more GPS-surfactant based small molecules to the liquor fluid circuit. These scale inhibitors reduce DSP scale formation and thereby increase fluid throughput, increase the amount of time Bayer process equipment can be operational and reduce the need for expensive and dangerous acid washes of Bayer process equipment. As a result, the invention provides a significant reduction in the total cost of operating a Bayer process. | 05-08-2014 |
20140076158 | COMPOSITE MATERIALS FOR REVERSIBLE CO2 CAPTURE - Composite materials for carbon dioxide (C02) capture that include: (1) a mesoporous carbon source; and (2) an in situ polymerized polymer that is associated with the mesoporous carbon source, where the in situ polymerized polymer is selected from the group consisting of thiol-based polymers, amine-based polymers, and combinations thereof. Methods of making the composite materials for C02 capture include: (1) associating a mesoporous carbon source with monomers, where the monomers are selected from the group consisting of thiol-based monomers, amine-based monomers, and combinations thereof; and (2) polymerizing the monomers in situ to form said composite materials. Further embodiments of the present invention pertain to methods of capturing C02 from an environment by associating the environment with one or more of the aforementioned composite materials. | 03-20-2014 |
20140073060 | CONTROL OVER HYDROGEN FLUORIDE LEVELS IN OXIDE ETCHANT - The invention is directed towards methods and compositions for identifying the amount of hydrofluoric acid in a buffered oxide etching composition. In buffered oxide etching compositions it is very difficult to measure the amount of hydrofluoric acid because it has varying equilibriums and it is toxic so it hard to handle and sample. When used to manufacture microchips however, incorrect amounts of hydrofluoric acid will ruin those chips. The invention utilizes a unique method of spectrographically measuring the hydrofluoric acid when in contact with added chromogenic agents to obtain exact measurements that are accurate, immediate, and safe. | 03-13-2014 |
20140061130 | METHOD OF HEAVY METAL REMOVAL FROM WATER STREAMS - The invention provides methods and compositions for separating metals from a liquid medium, the method uses a copolymer derived from at least two monomers: acrylic-x and an alkylamine, wherein said polymer is modified to contain a functional group capable of scavenging one or more compositions containing one or more metals are disclosed. The treated liquid is then passed through a filtration system. The scavenging effect of the combination of the treatment with the filtration is unexpectedly greater than the sum of its parts. | 03-06-2014 |
20140053872 | METHODS AND COMPOSITIONS FOR THE TREATMENT AND RECOVERY OF PURGE SOLVENT - The present disclosure relates to purge fluids, methods of using the purge fluids, and systems to be used for recycling the purge fluids. In some aspects, the purge fluid may be used to clean or purge an automated spray coating apparatus, such as a paint gun. The purge fluid may include a solvent and water. After the purge fluid is utilized for purging or cleaning certain system components, the purge fluid may be treated, subjected to a liquid-solid separation technique, and reused as a purge fluid. | 02-27-2014 |
20130343970 | REDUCING ALUMINOSILICATE SCALE IN THE BAYER PROCESS - The invention provides methods and compositions for inhibiting the accumulation of DSP scale in the liquor circuit of Bayer process equipment. The method includes adding one or more particular silane based small molecules to the liquor fluid circuit. These scale inhibitors reduce DSP scale formation and thereby increase fluid throughput, increase the amount of time Bayer process equipment can be operational and reduce the need for expensive and dangerous acid washes of Bayer process equipment. As a result, the invention provides a significant reduction in the total cost of operating a Bayer process. | 12-26-2013 |
20130340963 | DEBONDER AND SOFTENER COMPOSITIONS - The invention provides methods and compositions for softening paper. An inventive composition and method of its use softens paper products (like tissue paper) by de-bonding its cellulose fibers and by improving the smoothness of the resulting paper. The invention forms a surfactant-polymer complex that attaches de-bonding non-ionic surfactants to cellulose fibers that would otherwise not be retained by the cellulose fibers. This complex prevents the fibers from bonding with each other and makes the paper product smoother. Best of all, the composition is environmentally superior and is a non-toxic. | 12-26-2013 |
20130334102 | REMOVAL OF MERCURY AND MERCURIC COMPOUNDS FROM CRUDE OIL STREAMS - The invention is directed towards a method of removing mercury bearing species from a hydrocarbon containing fluid. The method comprises the steps of: i) adding dithiocarbamate polymer to the fluid in an amount such that the number of mercury bonding sites on the polymer exceeds the amount of mercury atoms by at least 10% and ii) removing the mercury bearing dithiocarbamate polymer with a water/oil separation device. The invention relies upon an unexpected reversal in the solubility of dithiocarbamate polymer at very high concentrations. Because of the high solubility the polymer remains within the water phase of the hydrocarbon fluid and can be removed without the need for cumbersome precipitation methods and complicated solid liquid separation devices. As a result, the invention allows mercury contaminated crude oil to be easily rid of its mercury with easy to use equipment already present in a typical oil refinery. | 12-19-2013 |
20130189529 | MITIGATION AND CONTROL OF ALUMINOSILICATE SCALE THROUGH A NOVEL FEEDING STRATEGY OF THE INHIBITOR - The invention provides a method of inhibiting the accumulation of DSP scale in the liquor circuit of Bayer process equipment. The method includes pre-treating surfaces of the process equipment with one or more particular silane based small molecules. These scale inhibitors reduce DSP scale formation and thereby increase fluid throughput, increase the amount of time Bayer process equipment can be operational and reduce the need for expensive and dangerous acid washes of Bayer process equipment. As a result, the invention provides a significant reduction in the total cost of operating a Bayer process. | 07-25-2013 |
20130180923 | METHODS OF CONTROLLING MERCURY EMISSION - Disclosed herein are methods for controlling mercury emissions, and more particularly, to methods for controlling mercury re-emissions from a wet flue gas desulfurizer used in a combustion process. | 07-18-2013 |
20130166608 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR CHEMICAL DATA REPOSITORY - Methods for chemical management, observing the effectiveness of an industrial facility, or of organizing the assets of a business organization. The method is computerized and may involve receiving specification data for pieces of equipment and organizing the equipment into data structures of templates. The templates may be organized in a hierarchical structure where the lowest levels correspond to templates for a single piece of equipment and higher levels correspond to categories of pieces of equipment. | 06-27-2013 |
20130161265 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR MONITORING AND CONTROLLING CORROSION IN HOT WATER SYSTEMS - Disclosed are systems and methods for monitoring and controlling a real-time oxidation-reduction potential in a hot water system to inhibit corrosion in the hot water system. The method includes defining one or more operational protective zones in the hot water system. One or more of the operational protective zones includes an oxidation-reduction potential probe that is operable to measure a real-time oxidation-reduction potential in the hot water system at operating temperature and pressure. The probe transmits the measured real-time potential to the controller, which assesses and interprets the transmitted potential to determine whether it conforms to an oxidation-reduction potential setting. If the measured potential does not conform the oxidation-reduction potential setting, the controller is operable to feed or remove one or more active chemical species into or from the hot water system and further operable to change at least one system parameter. | 06-27-2013 |
20130101683 | USE OF SULFAMIC ACID OR ITS SALTS AS STABILIZERS ESPECIALLY IN COMBINATION WITH AMMONIUM SALT AND/OR AMMINE FOR BLEACH OR OTHER HALOGEN CONTAINING BIOCIDES IN THE PAPER AREA - The invention is directed to compositions and methods of their use as effective biocidal agents for water streams. The composition comprises a halogen source, halogen stabilizers containing a sulfur bearing species and ammonium salts/urea, and an alkali. The sulfur bearing species includes sulfamic acid or its salt equivalent. By having optimized mixing ratio of halogen to stabilizer and that of ammonium salts to sulfamic acid or sulfamate, a synergistic effect occurs which both increases the efficacy of the composition as a biocide and it avoids adverse impacts on other chemicals that are present in the water stream. Best of all the composition is easy to form and easy to introduce into a water stream of concern. Its introduction can be as simple as mixing two containers of reagent prior to introduction to the water process stream. | 04-25-2013 |
20130101682 | BIOCONTROL THROUGH THE USE OF CHLORINE-STABILIZER BLENDS - A composition and methods of its use, the composition comprising: a halogen source, urea, and an additional halogen stabilizer excluding urea, optionally an alkali in a concentration sufficient to provide said composition with a pH of greater than 10; and optionally excluding a stabilized bromine compound from said composition is disclosed. Additionally, a method for reducing biological activity in a process stream is disclosed. The method comprises: providing a composition to a process stream, wherein said composition contains: a halogen, urea, and an additional halogen stabilizer excluding urea, optionally an alkali in a concentration sufficient to provide said composition with a pH of greater than 10; and optionally excluding a stabilized bromine compound from said composition. The invention is also directed to compositions and methods of their use as effective biocidal agents for water streams. | 04-25-2013 |
20130035405 | COMPOSITION AND METHOD FOR ENHANCING THE PRODUCTION OF CRYSTAL AGGLOMERATES FROM A PRECIPITATION LIQUOR - The present invention relates to compositions and methods to increase the output of a high quality product from the precipitation liquor crystallization process exemplified through the aluminum hydroxide recovery processes such as the Bayer process. The invention is a method of increasing the size of precipitates from a liquor. The invention in one embodiment relates to the use of a crystal growth modifier compositions added to the precipitation process to increase the particle size distribution of the precipitated alumina trihydrate. | 02-07-2013 |
20130032763 | Di- And Mono-Alkoxysilane Functionalized Polymers and Their Application in the Bayer Process - Diallcoxysilane and monoalkoxysilane functionalized polymers were applied as scale control agents in Bayer process. The polymer inhibitors reduced the quantity of aluminum silicate scale formed in spent liquor while significantly changed the morphology of the scale. Also a method is provided for reducing aluminum silicate scale of Bayer process by adding the dialkoxysilane and monoalkoxysilane functionalized polymer into the Bayer liquor stream. | 02-07-2013 |
20120322873 | USE OF A BUFFER WITH A BIOCIDE PRECURSOR - Disclosed herein are biocidal compounds and compositions, methods of using said compounds and compositions, and systems and processes for their preparation. Particularly disclosed herein are in situ generated biocides stabilized with a buffer. The biocide may include in situ generated peracetic acid produced from a peroxygen source, an acyl group donor, and a buffer. | 12-20-2012 |
20110247966 | Recovery and Separation of Crude Oil and Water from Emulsions - A composition and method demulsify a produced emulsion from anionic surfactants and polymer (SP) and alkali, surfactants, and polymer (ASP). The produced emulsion is demulsified into oil and water. In one embodiment, the composition includes a surfactant. The surfactant comprises a cationic surfactant, an amphoteric surfactant, or any combinations thereof. | 10-13-2011 |
20110232904 | METHOD AND COMPOSITION FOR OIL ENHANCED RECOVERY - In one aspect, embodiments disclosed herein relate to a process for enhanced oil recovery. The process includes the steps of providing an alkali metal borohydride; providing an alkali metal bisulfite; combining the alkali metal borohydride and the alkali metal bisulfite along with water to provide an oxygen-scavenger composition; combining the oxygen-scavenger composition and an aqueous composition to provide an oil recovery solution; and introducing the oil recovery solution into an earthen formation at a pressure to provide for enhanced oil recovery. | 09-29-2011 |