In one implementation, a method for recovery of crude oil from a production fluid comprising an oil-water emulsion is provided. The method comprises adding a solid hydrophilic compound to the production fluid to form a production fluid-solid hydrophilic compound mixture. The method further comprises separating the production fluid-solid hydrophilic compound mixture to produce an oil phase containing the heavy crude oil and a water phase containing the solid hydrophilic compound. The production fluid-solid hydrophilic compound mixture may be separated by centrifuging the production fluid-solid hydrophilic compound mixture to produce the oil phase and the water phase. After separation, the oil phase may be analyzed to determine at least one of: oil composition, physical properties, and geochemical analysis. The crude oil comprises at least one of heavy crude oil, bitumen or combinations thereof.

In one implementation, a method for recovery of crude oil from a production fluid comprising an oil-water emulsion is provided. The method comprises adding a solid hydrophilic compound to the production fluid to form a production fluid-solid hydrophilic compound mixture. The method further comprises separating the production fluid-solid hydrophilic compound mixture to produce an oil phase containing the heavy crude oil and a water phase containing the solid hydrophilic compound. The production fluid-solid hydrophilic compound mixture may be separated by centrifuging the production fluid-solid hydrophilic compound mixture to produce the oil phase and the water phase. After separation, the oil phase may be analyzed to determine at least one of: oil composition, physical properties, and geochemical analysis. The crude oil comprises at least one of heavy crude oil, bitumen or combinations thereof.

Methods for upgrading a hydrocarbon feed are disclosed. The methods include a hydrocarbon feed having an insolubility number, I.sub.feed, with at least a first fluid to form a fluid-feed mixture; and inducing a centrifugal force to the fluid-feed mixture sufficient to form at least a higher density portion and a lower density portion, said lower density portion having an insolubility number, I.sub.LD, wherein I.sub.LD/I.sub.feed≦0.95. Methods and apparatus for hydroprocessing the treated feed and blending with a fuel oil blend-stock are also described.

Methods for upgrading a hydrocarbon feed are disclosed. The methods include a hydrocarbon feed having an insolubility number, I.sub.feed, with at least a first fluid to form a fluid-feed mixture; and inducing a centrifugal force to the fluid-feed mixture sufficient to form at least a higher density portion and a lower density portion, said lower density portion having an insolubility number, I.sub.LD, wherein I.sub.LD/I.sub.feed≦0.95. Methods and apparatus for hydroprocessing the treated feed and blending with a fuel oil blend-stock are also described.

A system and method for enhancing separation of a denser phase liquid from a lighter phase liquid within a multiphase stream. In one example, a cyclonic coalescer has a tubular housing and a plurality of coaxial flow chambers extending in the axial direction of the housing. A swirling element is associated with each of the plurality of coaxial flow chambers. The swirling elements are constructed and arranged to impart a tangential velocity of the stream flowing through the associated flow chamber.

A system and method for enhancing separation of a denser phase liquid from a lighter phase liquid within a multiphase stream. In one example, a cyclonic coalescer has a tubular housing and a plurality of coaxial flow chambers extending in the axial direction of the housing. A swirling element is associated with each of the plurality of coaxial flow chambers. The swirling elements are constructed and arranged to impart a tangential velocity of the stream flowing through the associated flow chamber.

Provided is a selective transfer method including depositing a thin film on a substrate; patterning the thin film using a laser or a tool to acquire a thin film of a target pattern; masking the thin film of the target pattern; selectively controlling a surface wettability through surface treatment of the masked thin film; delaminating the thin film of the target pattern by dipping a surface of the thin film with a wettability changed in response to a completion of the selective surface treatment into a liquid material and by applying a crack opening force capable of delaminating an interface between the thin film and the substrate; and immersing a target substrate into the liquid material when the thin film of the target pattern is floating in the liquid material and then scoop-up transferring the floating thin film of the target pattern.

Asphalt binders are modified using fractional products from waste tire pyrolysis, using an initial step of i) at least partially pyrolyzing, separately from such asphaltic binder, whole rubber articles or size-reduced rubber particles to provide one or more pyrolyzed rubber fractions including a pyrolyzed oil fraction having a selected minimum initial boiling point or flash point, and ii) removing some or all polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) compounds from such pyrolyzed oil fraction to provide a reduced-PAH and preferably translucent pyrolyzed oil fraction that may be combined with an asphaltic binder to provide a modified asphalt composition.

A process for removing metals in a petroleum oil material. The process comprises causing the petroleum oil material to react with a removing agent which comprises a phosphoric acid ester. A microwave irradiation environment was created during the reaction to provide the required energy essential for separating such contaminations from the oil chemical network. The process of the invention is applied at ambient pressure and low temperature compared to the conventional metal removal processes. The process of the invention can be readily scaled up and integrated into an industrial facility.

Provided herein are processes for the removal and/or recovery of a target metal from a liquid sample, said process comprising: [1] applying acoustic cavitation to the liquid; and [2] adding an iron (II) salt, or a precursor form thereof, to the liquid sample and allowing Fenton oxidation reaction to occur between the iron and hydrogen peroxide in the liquid, thereby producing hydroxyl radicals; thereby producing a target metal salt or metal oxide having a reduced solubility in the liquid sample, leading to removal of the target metal from the liquid sample. The use of metal ligands in such processes is also described, as well as systems for performing such processes. Methods, processes, and systems for removing organic contaminants from a liquid sample are also described.