Method for evaluating the acidity of oil samples by isotopic labelling
US7618824B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | May 31, 2006 |
| Grant date | Nov 17, 2009 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Aug 10, 2027 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG01N33/2882
- WIPO fieldMeasurement
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A method for evaluating the acidity of oil samples in small amounts, applicable at any stage of the petroleum industry, includes labelling by an isotope of a chemical element present in at least one acid function present in petroleum samples. Isotopic enrichment of the samples is then determined by isotope ratio mass spectrometry (IRMS). The acidity of the samples is deduced therefrom. This method is an alternative to the measurement of the Total Acid Number (TAN). In particular, it represents the only possibility to reliably measure the acidity of oil samples available in small amounts. The method can be applied to the economic evaluation of a hydrocarbon production field, to the determination of the carbon range responsible for the acidity of a crude, or to monitoring of the evolution of the acid distribution of a site polluted by hydrocarbons.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.