Granted Patent B2

US 9,527,960 · App. 14/763,324 · Granted Dec 27, 2016

Abstract

Claims (9)

1. A process comprising: (a) providing a powder comprising hydrophilic particulates and hydrocarbon liquid; (b) providing polyolefin beads consisting of one or more than one polyolefin; and (c) forming a combination by combining the polyolefin beads with the powder wherein the hydrophilic particulates are water soluble.

2. The process of claim 1 , further comprising allowing the combination to exist for a period of time and then removing the polyolefin beads with at least a portion of the hydrocarbon liquid bound thereto.

3. The process of claim 2 , further characterized by the polyolefin beads having a larger dimension than the hydrophilic particulates and further comprising sieving the combination to separate the smaller hydrophilic particulates from the polyolefin beads.

4. The process of claim 1 , further characterized by the powder comprising the hydrophilic particulates in an amount of at least 95 wt % based on total weight of the powder.

5. The process of claim 1 , further characterized by the polyolefin beads on average having a largest dimension of greater than two millimeters and the hydrophilic particulates having a largest dimension of less than two millimeters.

6. The process of claim 1 , further characterized by heating the combination formed in step (c).

7. The process of claim 1 , further comprising agitating the combination formed in step (c) thereby intermixing the hydrophilic particulates and polyolefin beads.

8. The process of claim 1 , further characterized by the combination comprising less than two weight-percent of the hydrocarbon liquid based on the combination weight.

9. The process of claim 1 , further characterized by the hydrocarbon liquid being present in the powder at a concentration of less than one weight-percent based on total powder weight.

Assignments (13)