Recovery of deasphalting solvent
The invention is an energy-efficient improvement in a continuous deasphalting process in which a mixture of viscous hydrocarbon oils with resins and/or asphaltenes is contacted with a quantity of pure or mixed hydrocarbon solvents including, but not limited to, propane, butane, pentane, hexane, heptane, isomers thereof, and unsaturated hydrocarbons of similar molecular weights, in order to separate a primary extract phase comprising high viscosity oil, resins and/or asphaltenes, and solvent. The primary raffinate phase is further contacted with an additional quantity of solvent comprising similar components to those in the primary solvent (but not necessarily identical thereto) to separate a secondary extract phase comprising high viscosity oil and solvent, and a secondary raffinate phase comprising resins and/or asphaltenes and solvent. The contacting step may be repeated as often as desired to make additional extract phases which are recovered separately. The solvents from the extract and raffinate phases are separated from the associated viscous oils, resins and/or asphaltenes, and reused in the contacting process. Several embodiments of the invention are disclosed. In each embodiment, the primary and secondary recovery systems are integrated so that heat recovered from the primary solvent is used to operate the secondary recovery system.
- Assignee:
- Foster Wheeler Energy Corp., Livingston, N.J.
- Patent Number(s):
- US 4421639
- OSTI ID:
- 6927237
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Process for the solvent deasphalting of asphaltene containing hydrocarbons
Process for the solvent deasphalting of asphaltene-containing hydrocarbons
Related Subjects
020400* -- Petroleum-- Processing
ASPHALTENES
ASPHALTS
BITUMENS
CHEMICAL REACTION KINETICS
DEASPHALTING
ENERGY SOURCES
EXTRACTION
FOSSIL FUELS
FUELS
HYDROCARBONS
KINETICS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC POLYMERS
ORGANIC SOLVENTS
OTHER ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
PETROCHEMICALS
PETROLEUM
PETROLEUM PRODUCTS
POLYMERS
REACTION KINETICS
RECYCLING
RESINS
SEPARATION PROCESSES
SOLVENT EXTRACTION
SOLVENTS
TAR
VISCOSITY