US PATENT CLASS 208
Class Notes


Current as of: June, 1999
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208 /   HD   MINERAL OILS: PROCESSES AND PRODUCTS



DEFINITION

Classification: 208/

This class includes:

Processes for the recovery or treatment of natural occurring mineral oil which result in the production of a purified or modified mineral oil or of coke.

Mineral oil products of the above processes or mixtures thereof which include only mineral oil components.

Processes for the recovery of oily liquid or tar-like hydrocarbonaceous material from a solid mineral source.

APPARATUS

See References to Other Classes, below, that reference apparatus

LINES WITH OTHER CLASSES

PROCESSES OF TREATING MINERAL OIL Processes that treat a mineral oil to produce both a particular carbon compound classified in Class 260, Class 518, Class 560, Class 562, or Class 568 and a mineral oil classified in Class 208 are classified in Class 208.

See References to Other Classes, below, that reference processes of treating mineral oil.

PRODUCTS AND COMPOSITIONS

The products and compositions classified in this class (208) are those which consist only of a mineral oil or mixtures of mineral oils. Compositions including, in addition to a mineral oil, some nonmineral oil component are classified in other composition classes, usually upon the basis of the use, property or function of the composition. Class 508, Solid Antifriction Devices, Materials Therefor, Lubricant or Separant Compositions for Moving Solid Surfaces, and Miscellaneous Mineral Oil Compositions, is the residual class for heavy mineral oil compositions not otherwise provided for.

The rules for determining Class placement of the Original Reference (OR) for claimed chemical compositions are set forth in the Class Definition of Class 252 in the section LINES WITH OTHER CLASSES AND WITHING THIS CLASS, subsection COMPOSITION CLASS SUPERIORITY, which includes a hierarchical ORDER OF SUPERITY FOR COMPOSITION CLASSES.

REFERENCES TO OTHER CLASSES

SEE OR SEARCH CLASS

34, Drying and Gas or Vapor Contact With Solids,

428, for a process of cooling solids by mere contact with a gas; that is, quenching, per se, of a solid by use of a gas. (processes of treating mineral oil) 34, Drying and Gas or Vapor Contact With Solids, appropriate subclasses, and particularly

443+, for miscellaneous methods of contacting solids with gases or vapors.

48, Gas: Heating and Illuminating, appropriate subclass, for processes of producing a heating or illuminating gas from mineral oil wherein no liquid mineral oil is recovered. Processes which result in the production of both a modified mineral oil and a gas are classified in this class (208) see also the reference of Class 48 in the definitions of

400, below. (processes of treating mineral oil)

62, Refrigeration,

64, quenching, per se, of a solid article by use of a liquid. (processes of treating mineral oil)

75, Specialized Metallurgical Processes, Compositions for Use Therein, Consolidated Metal Powder Compositions, and Loose Metal Particulate Mixtures, for a process in which metal (usually considered a catalyst poison) is recovered in elemental form from a hydrocarbonaceous material which has come out of the ground. Where a patent has a Class 75 claim and a Class 208 claim, it is classified in Class 75 and cross-referenced in this class (208).

95, Gas Separation: Processes, for processes of separation of mineral oil from gases; see the notes in

340, of Class 208 for the line between these classes. (processes of treating mineral oil)

96, Gas Separation: Apparatus, for apparatus for gas separation. (apparatus)

122, Liquid Heaters and Vaporizers, for liquid heaters, including those disclosed for merely heating mineral oil. (apparatus)

165, Heat Exchange, appropriate subclasses for a heat exchanger not specialized to the mineral oil art. (apparatus) 166, Wells,

244.1+, for processes of treating mineral oils involving the use of wells, especially subclasses 256+ for processes

involving in situ combination, subclass 266 for a process involving treating oil after it has left a producing well and placing a separated constituent of the oil into an injection well, subclasses 272.1+ for processes using injection and producing wells and heating the formation and subclasses 302+ for miscellaneous processes involving heating. (processes of treating mineral oil)

196, Mineral Oils: Apparatus, appropriate subclasses for apparatus for carrying out processes classifiable in Class 208 and not elsewhere classified. (apparatus)

202, Distillation: Apparatus,

81+, for distillation apparatus excluding that disclosed solely for distilling mineral oil. (apparatus)

204, Chemistry: Electrical and Wave Energy,

193+, for electrolytic apparatus and apparatus for treating materials to cause a chemical reaction (other than by mere heating). (apparatus)

204, Chemistry: Electrical and Wave Energy, appropriate subclass, for the treatment of mineral oil involving the use of electrical or wave energy, other than mere electrical heating. (processes of treating mineral oil)

210, Liquid Purification or Separation, appropriate subclasses, particularly

767, for processes of separating or purifying mineral oil by filtering or liquid settling or decanting. Purification of mineral oil by treating with sorptive agents or an agent which exerts some chemical or solvent action is classified in this class (208). The line between Class 210 and Class 208 with respect to treatment with a solvent chemical or sorbent treating agent is as follows: Where the disclosure includes both water and a mineral oil, the patent is classified in: (1) Class 210 if all claims are broad as to the liquid treated. (2) Class 210 if any claim is limited to the treatment of water (whether or not there are other claims limited to the treatment of other liquids). (3) Class 208 if the only claimed species of liquid treated is mineral oil. Where water is the only disclosed liquid treated the patent will be classified in Class 210. If mineral oil is the only disclosed liquid treated the patent is classified in Class 208.

210, Liquid Purification or Separation, appropriate subclasses for apparatus for separating or purifying a liquid within the scope of the definition thereof even though mineral oil is disclosed as the liquid treated, including apparatus for treating mineral oil with sorbtive agents, but excluding apparatus for refining mineral oil with chemical agents. (apparatus)

252, Compositions, particularly

182.11+, for chemical agents, per se.

260, Chemistry of Carbon Compounds,

398.6, for processes of oxidizing nonaromatic hydrocarbon mixtures. (processes of treating mineral oil)

261, Gas and Liquid Contact Apparatus, appropriate subclasses for gas scrubbing devices (e.g., bubble towers). (apparatus)

299, Mining or In Situ Disintegration of Hard Material, appropriate subclass for mining mineral oil and oil bearing earth. (processes of treating mineral oil)

406, Conveyors: Fluid Current, appropriate subclasses for solids transferring methods and apparatus.

422, Chemical Apparatus and Process Disinfecting, Deodorizing, Preserving, or Sterilizing,

190+, and 211+ for apparatus for treating a material (including mineral oil) with a catalyst. (apparatus)

423, Chemistry of Inorganic Compounds,

210+, for purifying or separating gaseous mixtures by a chemical reaction, and other appropriate subclasses for the recovery of an inorganic compound or nonmetallic element from a hydrocarbonaceous material which has come out of the ground. Where a patent has a Class 423 claim, and a Class 208 claim, it is classified in Class 423 and cross-referenced to this class (208). (processes of treating mineral oil) 435, Chemistry: Molecular Biology and Microbiology,

281, for processes of treating or separating mineral oil including a fermenting operation. (processes of treating mineral oil)

435, Chemistry: Molecular Biology and Microbiology, appropriate subclasses for apparatus for carrying out fermentation. (apparatus)

494, Imperforate Bowl: Centrifugal Separators, appropriate subclasses, for apparatus for breaking up a mixture of fluids or fluent substances into two or more components by centrifuging within a generally solid-walled receptacle-like member. (apparatus)

494, Imperforate Bowl: Centrifugal Separators,

37, for a process for breaking up a mixture of fluids or fluent substances into two or more components by centrifuging within a generally solid-walled, receptacle-like member. (processes of treating mineral oil)

502, Catalyst, Solid Sorbent, or Support Therefor: Product or Process of Making, for a catalyst or sorbent which may be used in a process of this class (208) and a method of making or regenerating such composition.

516, Colloid Systems and Wetting Agents; Subcombinations Thereof; Processes of Making, Stabilizing, Breaking, or Inhibiting,

113+, for compositions for or subcombination compositions for or breaking of or inhibiting of colloid systems (e.g., foam breaking, emulsion breaking, dispersion inhibiting, suspension settling, gel breaking, smoke suppressing, coagulating, flocculating), when generically claimed or when there is no hierarchically superior provision in the USPC for the specifically claimed art, and when there is no additional treatment of the oil. Combinations of emulsion breaking and a treatment of the mineral oil provided for in Class 208 are classified in Class 208.

518, Chemistry: Fischer-Tropsch Processes; or Purification or Recovery of Products Thereof, for processes of producing hydrocarbons by the hydrogenation of carbon oxides. (processes of treating mineral oil)

560, Organic Compounds, 241.1, for processes of oxidizing nonaromatic hydrocarbon mixtures. (processes of treating mineral oil)

562, Organic Compounds,

512.2, and 512.4 for processes of oxidizing nonaromatic hydrocarbon mixtures. (processes of treating mineral oil)

568, Organic Compounds,

398.8, 469.9, 910.5, and 949-959 for processes of oxidizing nonaromatic hydrocarbon mixtures. (processes of treating mineral oil)

585, Chemistry of Hydrocarbon Compounds, for hydrocarbon compounds, certain compositions containing nonmineral oil hydrocarbons and processes for synthesizing or purifying such materials. See the Class Definition of that class, Lines With Other Classes, for statements of the line between Class 585 and Class 208. (processes of treating mineral oil)

588, Hazardous or Toxic Waste Destruction or Containment, appropriate subclasses wherein mineral oils are treated with hazardous or toxic waste or they are the hazardous or toxic waste being destroyed or contained. (processes of treating mineral oil)

GLOSSARY:

ASPHALT

A brown to black solid bituminous substance either occurring naturally or obtained as a residue from certain petroleums, coal tars, lignite tar, etc.

COAL TAR Mixture of aromatic hydrocarbons obtained by the distillation of bituminous coal.

COKING

A cracking type conversion in which solid, free carbon or coke as a product thereof. Additional liquid or gaseous hydrocarbon may also be obtained.

CONVERSION

A treatment of the mineral oil which results in an alteration of the hydrocarbon molecule making up the mineral oil.

CRACKING

A conversion treatment in which the hydrocarbons of the mineral oil are broken down to a shorter carbon chain length, resulting in hydrocarbons having a lower boiling temperature, which may be carried out in the presence of a catalyst (catalytic cracking) or in the absence of any catalyst (thermal cracking).

FEED

The mineral oil which is subjected to treating processes provided for in this class, which in most cases, is a mixture of hydrocarbons.

FRACTIONATION

The separation of one portion of the hydrocarbons of a mineral oil from another, regardless of the steps employed for affecting such separation. The separated fractions usually differ from each other in some chemical or physical property as for instance in boiling range (in the case of distillation) or solubility in a solvent (as in extraction).

MINERAL OIL Included in this term are natural petroleum, asphalt, tars, pitches and waxes which are primarily mixtures of hydrocarbons. Included also are Fischer-Tropsch crudes, that is, the liquid hydrocarbonaceous mixture resulting from the hydrogenation of a carbon oxide, wood tars and wood tar oils which are similar to coal tar in that they include an unidentified mixture, including hydrocarbons. Solid carbonaceous materials such as coal, lignite, peat, etc., (as distinguished from solid asphalts or asphalt bearing shales

or sands) are not included.

PERIODIC TABLE

In this class metals and metal compounds may be identified as belonging to a certain "Group" distinguished by Roman numerals. These groups are taken from Henry D. Hubbard's "Periodic chart of the Atoms" (1956 Ed.).

(1) Note. The metals making up the various groups are as follows:

IA = Li, Na, K, Rb, Cs and Fr (these metals are also identified as "alkali metals").

IB = Cu, Ag and Au

IIA = Be, Mg, Ca, Sr, Ba and Ra (Mg, Ca, Sr and Ba are also identified as "alkaline earth metals")

IIB = Zn, Cd and Hg

III = Al, Ga, In, Tl, Sc, Y, Rare Earth metals and Actinide series metals [Rare Earth Metals: La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Pm, Sm, Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, Yb and Lu; Actinide Series Metals (atomic numbers 89 and greater) Ac, Th, Pa, U, Np, Pu, Am, Cm, Bk, Cf, E, Fm and Mv]

IV = Ge, Sn, Pb, Ti, Zr and Hf

V = As, Sb, Bi, V, Nb and Ta VI = Po, Cr, Mo and W

VII = Mn, Tc and Re

VIII = Fe, Co, Ni, Ru, Rh, Pd, Os, Ir and Pt. (Ru, Rh, Pd, Os, Ir and Pf are also known as "Noble Metals")

REFINING

The removal of impurities or nonhydrocarbon, gums or gum forming components from a mineral oil or the conversion of such components to some less objectionable form (e.g., sweetening: conversion of mercaptans to disulfides).

REFORMING

A chemical conversion operation which results in a change of the hydrocarbon molecule such that the product has substantially the same boiling range but has its "antiknock" or "octane" rating improved or increased. Various types of reaction are believed to be involved including cyclization, hydrogenation, dehydrogenation, alkylation, isomerization and dealkylation. Such reactions, if applied to a mineral oil, are classified in the subclass providing for reforming.