A water treatment system including a filter compartment having a filter material adapted for removing at least one of neutrons and alpha particles from water. The filter material may comprise at least one of paraffin, cadmium, and bismuth. The filter compartment can also have a second filter material adapted for removing at least one of chloride ions and transmuted chlorine ions from the water. The second filter material may comprise at least one of coconut carbon, silicon dioxide, and ionized sand. The system can further include a container downstream of the filter compartment, the container having paraffin therein. Additionally, the system can include an absorptive manifold designed for absorbing hydrogen ions and reducing the pH of the water. A method for treating contaminated water using the water treatment system is also provided.

Ionic liquid containing compositions may be used in the production, recovery and refining of oil and gas. In addition, they may be used to treat cooling water and/or to inhibit and/or prevent corrosion of metals.

A method of demulsifying an emulsion with an ionic liquid having a nitrogen or phosphorus cation.

The disclosure relates to the use of ionic liquids as paraffin inhibitors, pour point depressant or cold flow improvers in the production, treatment and refining of hydrocarbon fluids.

The present invention provides improved methods for purifying and/or removing oily particles, and/or contaminants suspended or dissolved in water. In particular the process relates to an additive composition that has the appropriate surfactant characteristics for effectively removing an oil phase from an oil/aqueous mixed phase via foam fractionation. According to the invention, a hydrophobically modified polymer that acts as an associative thickener is combined with surfactant in appropriate ratios to facilitate oil removal for water purification in any of a number of commercial, environmental and industrial applications.

The present invention relates generally to stable percarboxylic acid compositions comprising, inter alia, at least two stabilizing agents, and various uses for water treatments, including water treatments in connection with oil- and gas-field operations. The present invention also relates to slick water compositions and gel based compositions that comprise stable percarboxylic acid compositions and the use thereof in oil- and gas-field operations.

A carbon disulfide-modified amine additive may be introduced to an aqueous stream in an effective amount to separate oil from the water in the aqueous stream, such as separating at least some of the oil from emulsified oil-in-water in a production fluid, where the oil is crude oil. The carbon disulfide-modified amine additive may be produced from a reaction of synthetic amine, natural amines, or chemically modified natural amines with carbon disulfide and an ,-unsaturated compound and/or an epoxide in one step. In one non-limiting embodiment, the amine is a natural amine or chemically modified natural amine of a polysaccharide containing amino functional group(s). Optionally, a base catalyst is used to make the carbon disulfide-modified amine additive.

The present invention provides improved methods for purifying and/or removing oily particles, and/or contaminants suspended or dissolved in water. In particular the process relates to an additive composition that has the appropriate surfactant characteristics for effectively removing an oil phase from an oil/aqueous mixed phase via foam fractionation. According to the invention, a hydrophobically modified polymer that acts as an associative thickener is combined with surfactant in appropriate ratios to facilitate oil removal for water purification in any of a number of commercial, environmental and industrial applications.

A floating-oil recovery device includes: a bubble-curtain generation mechanism configured to discharge air into water to generate a bubble curtain in the water so as to increase a thickness of a film of floating oil while regulating spread of the floating oil; and an ejector configured to recover an oil-water mixed fluid having the floating oil and the water mixed with each other by jetting high-velocity water toward the film of floating oil enclosed with the bubble curtain to destroy the film of floating oil.

Methods and systems for use of switchable water, which is capable of reversibly switching between an initial ionic strength and an increased ionic strength, is described. The disclosed methods and systems can be used, for example, in distillation-free removal of water from solvents, solutes, or solutions, desalination, clay settling, viscosity switching, etc. Switching from lower to higher ionic strength is readily achieved using low energy methods such as bubbling with C0.sub.2, CS.sub.2 or COS or treatment with Bronsted acids. Switching from higher to lower ionic strength is readily achieved using low energy methods such as bubbling with air, inert gas, heating, agitating, introducing a vacuum or partial vacuum, or any combination or thereof.