Dispersant material for mitigating crude oil fouling of process equipment and method for using same

1 . A dispersant material for mitigating crude oil fouling comprising a reaction product of a polyamine and a polyisobutylene succinyl anhydride made with a polyisobutylene having a vinylidene double bond content of at least 50%, said reaction product having an active nitrogen atom content of at least about 2% by weight.

2 . A dispersant material as set forth in claim 1 , wherein said reaction product is prepared by thermally reacting said polyisobutylene with maleic anhydride to produce said polyisobutylene succinyl anhydride and thereafter reacting the polyisobutylene succinyl anhydride with a polyamine having 5 to 7 active nitrogen atoms.

3 . A dispersant material as set forth in claim 1 , wherein said reaction product has a number average molecular weight which ranges from about 400 to about 5000.

4 . A dispersant material as set forth in claim 3 , wherein said reaction product has a number average molecular weight which ranges from about 500 to 2500.

5 . A dispersant material as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the active nitrogen atom content thereof is at least about 4% by weight.

6 . A dispersant material as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the active nitrogen atom content thereof is at least about 6% by weight.

7 . A dispersant material as set forth in claim 2 , wherein said reaction product is prepared by reacting said polyisobutylene succinyl anhydride with a polyamine at a molar ratio within the range of from about 0.5:1 to about 5:1.

8 . A dispersant material as set forth in claim 1 , further comprising one or more of a second dispersant material, an antioxidant, an antipolymerant, a metal chelating chemical, a hydrocarbon solvent and an oxygen, nitrogen, sulfur or chlorine containing solvent.

9 . A crude oil composition wherein fouling has been mitigated comprising crude oil and an anti-fouling amount of a dispersant material as set forth in claim 1 dispersed in said crude oil.

10 . A crude oil composition as set forth in claim 9 , comprising from about 1 ppm to about 500 ppm of said dispersant material.

11 . A crude oil composition as set forth in claim 9 , comprising from about 5 ppm to about 200 ppm of said dispersant material.

12 . A crude oil composition as set forth in claim 9 , comprising from about 10 ppm to about 150 ppm of said dispersant material.

13 . A method for mitigating crude oil fouling comprising:

providing a dispersant material comprising a reaction product of a polyamine and a polyisobutylene succinyl anhydride made with a polyisobutylene having a vinylidene double bond content of at least 50%, said reaction product having an active nitrogen atom content of at least about 2% by weight;

dispersing said dispersant material in crude oil wherein fouling is to be mitigated; and

subjecting said crude oil to processing in an environment conducive to the occurrence of fouling.

14 . A method as set forth claim 13 , wherein said reaction product is prepared by thermally reacting said polyisobutylene with maleic anhydride to present said polyisobutylene succinyl anhydride, and thereafter reacting the polyisobutylene succinyl anhydride with a polyamine having 5 to 7 nitrogen atoms.

15 . A method as set forth in claim 13 , wherein said reaction product has a number average molecular weight which ranges from about 400 to about 5000.

16 . A method as set forth in claim 15 , wherein said reaction product has a number average molecular weight which ranges from about 500 to 2500.

17 . A method as set forth in claim 13 , wherein said dispersant material has an active nitrogen atom content of at least about 4% by weight.

18 . A method as set forth in claim 13 , wherein said dispersant material has an active nitrogen atom content of at least about 6% by weight.

19 . A method as set forth in claim 14 , wherein said reaction product is prepared by reacting said polyisobutylene succinyl anhydride with a polyamine at a molar ratio within the range of from about 0.5:1 to about 5:1.

20 . A dispersant material for mitigating crude oil fouling comprising a reaction product of a polyisobutylene succinyl anhydride and a polyamine, wherein said polyisobutylene succinyl anhydride is characterized by having been prepared by thermally reacting a polyisobutylene with maleic anhydride, said reaction product having an active nitrogen content of at least about 2% by weight.

21 . A dispersant material as set forth in claim 20 , wherein said polyamine has from 5 to 7 nitrogen atoms.

22 . A dispersant material as set forth in claim 20 , wherein said reaction product has a number average molecular weight which ranges from about 400 to about 5000.

23 . A dispersant material as set forth in claim 22 , wherein said reaction product has a number average molecular weight which ranges from about 500 to 2500.

24 . A dispersant material as set forth in claim 20 , wherein the active nitrogen atom content thereof is at least about 5% by weight.

25 . A dispersant material as set forth in claim 20 , wherein the active nitrogen atom content thereof is at least about 6% by weight.

26 . A dispersant material as set forth in claim 21 , wherein said reaction product is prepared by reacting said polyisobutylene succinyl anhydride with a polyamine at a molar ratio within the range of from about 0.5:1 to about 5:1.

27 . A dispersant material as set forth in claim 20 , further comprising one or more of second dispersant material, an antioxidant, an antipolymerant, a metal chelating chemical, a hydrocarbon solvent and an oxygen, nitrogen, sulfur or chlorine containing solvent.

28 . A crude oil composition wherein the tendency for fouling has been mitigated comprising crude oil and an antifouling amount of a dispersant material as set forth in claim 20 dispersed in said crude oil.

29 . A crude oil composition as set forth in claim 28 , comprising from about 1 ppm to about 500 ppm of said dispersant material.

30 . A crude oil composition as set forth in claim 28 , comprising from about 5 ppm to about 200 ppm of said dispersant material.

31 . A crude oil composition as set forth in claim 28 , comprising from about 10 ppm to about 150 ppm of said dispersant material.

32 . A method for mitigating crude oil fouling comprising:

providing a dispersant material comprising a reaction product of a polyamine and a polyisobutylene succinyl anhydride made with a polyisobutylene having a vinylidene double bond content of at least 50%, said reaction product having an active nitrogen atom content of at least about 2% by weight; and

dispersing said dispersant material in a crude oil wherein fouling is to be mitigated.

33 . A method for mitigating crude oil fouling as set forth in claim 32 , wherein said polyisobutylene succinyl anhydride is characterized by having been made by a thermal process.

34 . A dispersant material as set forth in claim 1 , wherein said reaction product is prepared by thermally reacting said polyisobutylene with maleic anhydride to present said polyisobutylene succinyl anhydride.

35 . A dispersant material as set forth in claim 20 , wherein the active nitrogen atom content thereof is at least about 3% by weight.

36 . A dispersant material as set forth in claim 20 , wherein the active nitrogen atom content thereof is at least about 4% by weight.

37 . A dispersant material as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the active nitrogen atom content thereof is at least about 3% by weight.

38 . A dispersant material as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the active nitrogen atom content thereof is at least about 5% by weight.

39 . A dispersant material as set forth in claim 1 , wherein said polyisobutylene succinyl anhydride is made with a polyisobutylene having a vinylidene double bond content of at least 60%.

40 . A dispersant material as set forth in claim 1 , wherein said polyisobutylene succinyl anhydride is made with a polyisobutylene having a vinylidene double bond content of at least 70%.

41 . A dispersant material as set forth in claim 1 , wherein said polyisobutylene succinyl anhydride is made with a polyisobutylene having a vinylidene double bond content of at least 80%.

42 . A dispersant material as set forth in claim 1 , wherein said polyisobutylene succinyl anhydride is made with a polyisobutylene having a vinylidene double bond content of at least 90%.

43 . A dispersant material as set forth in claim 1 , wherein said polyisobutylene succinyl anhydride is made with a polyisobutylene having a vinylidene double bond content that is greater than 90%.

44 . A method for mitigating crude oil fouling as set forth in claim 32 , wherein said reaction product has an active nitrogen atom content greater than 4.8% by weight.