Abstract: A process for producing isotropic and mesophase pitch with reduced solids contamination from aromatic liquids contaminated with solids, such as catalyst fines or semi-coke. Contaminated feed is charged through one or more pitch forming reactors which discharge a pitch rich liquid and a vapor phase with reduced solids contamination. The vapor phase is cooled, condensed and may be charged continuously to another pitch forming reactor in parallel or used intermittently as a total or partial replacement for solids contaminated feed.

Abstract: A process for making mesophase and/or isotropic pitch. An aromatic rich liquid is charged at high temperature and pressure to a first thermal polymerization reactor to produce an effluent stream which is flashed to remove unconverted or partially converted feed as a vapor yielding a liquid phase enriched in isotropic pitch. The enriched isotropic pitch liquid is charged to a second thermal reactor and reactor effluent flashed to produce mesophase pitch and a vapor phase. The vapor phases from both flashing steps are condensed and combined for recycle of a liquid aromatic rich stream to the first reactor. Flashing from the first reactor cools the liquid phase which is enriched in isotropic pitch. This enriched stream is mixed with a superheated fluid, preferably steam, upstream of the second reactor.

Abstract: Producing mesophase pitch from liquid hydrocarbon feed comprising multi-ring aromatic compounds. In a first stage reactor feed is converted to isotropic pitch product contaminated with mesophase pitch. Contaminated isotropic pitch is charged to a second stage reactor where mesophase formation by self-assembly into spherical crystal clusters produces a mesophase pitch product. Water or steam added to the first stage reactor increases conversion of aromatic liquid feed, increases mesophase contamination of isotropic pitch product and reduces coke formation in the isotropic pitch reactor.

Abstract: A process for making mesophase and/or isotropic pitch. An aromatic rich liquid is charged at high temperature and pressure to a first thermal polymerization reactor to produce an isotropic pitch rich liquid which is flashed. Residual liquid is charged to a second thermal reactor to produce mesophase pitch. The reactors can be either tubular reactors or CSTRs.

Abstract: A high pressure two-zone molten iron gasification process for converting solid, liquid and gaseous hydrocarbon feeds into separate substantially hydrogen-rich and carbon monoxide-rich streams at 2 to 200 atmospheres pressure by feeding hydrocarbons into the molten iron in a first zone (4) in which hydrogen-rich gas is formed and then circulating the molten iron into contact with an oxygen containing gas in a second zone (5) in which carbon monoxyide-rich gas is formed. The carbon level in the circulating molten iron is carefully controlled above 0.3 wt. % to minimize formation of FeO. Hydrogen sulfide and other volatile sulfur compounds are removed from the separate gas streams via scrubbing in downstream equipment (12 and 16).

Abstract: A process for recovering and purifying vanadium found in petroleum coke is disclosed. Coke containing V and sulfur is charged to a molten metal bath and dissolved to form a molten metal bath with dissolved carbon, dissolved V metal and dissolved sulfur. At least a majority of the dissolved sulfur is released as H2S by maintaining reducing conditions in the bed, by maintaining a high concentration of dissolved carbon or addition of steam or hydrogen rich hydrocarbon such as methane or some combination of these approaches.

Abstract: A continuous process for recovering vanadium values from petroleum coke is disclosed. A vanadium containing coke is charged to a molten metal bath to which oxygen containing gas is added in an amount sufficient to heat balance the process and produce off gas. The carbon in the coke dissolves in the molten metal bath as does the vanadium content of the coke. A majority, and preferably all, of the net addition of vanadium to the process is removed in the form of “dust” from the molten metal bath.

Abstract: A process for recovering and purifying vanadium found in petroleum coke is disclosed. Coke containing V and other metals such as Ni is charged to a molten metal bath and dissolved to form a molten metal bath with dissolved carbon, dissolved V metal and dissolved Ni. Oxygen containing gas is added in an amount sufficient to heat balance the process and produce off gas. At least periodically the conditions in the bed are made more severely oxidizing so that a portion of the molten vanadium metal is oxidized to form slag. Oxidation is limited so that a majority of the Ni dissolved in the bath remains as dissolved elemental Ni metal. Oxidized vanadium species are continuously or intermittently withdrawn from the slag layer, by dust formation or by tapping the slag layer.

Abstract: A process for the recovery of vanadium from a petroleum coke or heavy hydrocarbon feed comprising dissolving the feed in a molten metal bath to which oxygen containing gas is added to maintain heat balance and bum off carbon. Preferably the feed is added via a high pressure nozzle as a coke/steam mixture discharged down into a molten metal bath. Preferably the net gas make from the molten metal reactor is quenched and/or cooled to permit dust recovery, with recycle of dust to the molten metal reactor. An iron/vanadium product is withdrawn from the molten metal reactor as a product.

Abstract: A process in which a high-purity, high-pressure hydrogen-rich gas stream and a high-purity, high-pressure carbon monoxide-rich gas stream are simultaneously produced separately and continuously using a molten metal gasifier that contains at least two zones, thereby avoiding the need to separate or compress the gases in down-stream equipment.

Abstract: This invention is an improved continuous process for drying and solvent extraction of water-wet solids without experiencing sticky solids comprising the steps of (1) mixing the input water-wet with solvent, (2) feeding said mixture into two or more stages of evaporation in parallel or in series to evaporate some of the water present in the input solids or sludges and to extract some of the indigenous solvent-soluble compounds from the solids, (3) feeding the slurry from the parallel or serial stages of evaporation in series to one or two final evaporation stages operated at pressures above atmospheric at preferably between pressures of 18 psia and 150 psia and more preferably between pressures of 18 psia and 50 psia, (4) feeding the slurry from the final stages of evaporation to a centrifuge or other device for separating most of the solvent from the solids, (5) subjecting the water-wet solids to none, one, or multiple extraction stages before, during, or after the evaporation stages, (6) at times, feeding th

Abstract: This invention is a continuous process combining water evaporation and solvent extraction of contaminated water-wet soil, sediment or sludge, including specifically, but not exclusively Petroleum Refinery "K" and "F" wastes as defined by the U.S.

Abstract: A continuous evaporation process for drying water-wet waste solids and sludges, using a paraffin oil solvent, until the waste is dried to a near-zero wastewater product, without experiencing sticky solids. The invention involves (1) mixing the input solids or sludges with a paraffin oil solvent, (2) feeding the mixture into two or more stages of evaporation in parallel to evaporate some of the water present in the input solids or sludges and to extract some of the indigenous solvent-soluble compounds from the solids, (3) feeding the slurry from the parallel stages of evaporation to one or more final evaporation stages in series, and (4) feeding the slurry from the final stages of evaporation to a centrifuge or other device for separating most of the solvent from the solids.

Abstract: Processing and apparatus are provided for upgrading the octane of a mixed hydrocarbon gasoline feedstock by an integrated adsorption-isomerization process which catalytically isomerizes normal paraffinic hydrocarbons and concentrates non-normals in a product stream, in both the reactor-lead and adsorber-lead configuration.The process includes passing an adsorber feed stream comprising hydrogen as well as hydrocarbons to an adsorbent bed to adsorb normal hydrocarbons. The hydrogen is preferably obtained from a hot hydrogen-containing process stream which is not cooled or separated into component parts prior to forming the adsorber feed. In some embodiments, the hot-hydrogen containing stream comes from reactor effluent and in others from desorption effluent.According to the invention, the only hydrogen which will require cooling and separation from a hydrocarbon component is that which is recycled for desorption. The invention provides improved energy efficiency and can reduce equipment size and complexity.

Abstract: An invention is described in which a portion of one of the product streams from an adsorption system is used to wash a recycle gas stream in order to improve the quality of one of the products.

Abstract: A process for virtually complete isomerization of the normal paraffin hydrocarbons contained in a feed stream consisting essentially of mixed normal and non-normal hydrocarbons, wherein the feedstock is first passed through an isomerization reactor and the hydrocarbons in the effluent from the reactor are passed through an adsorption section wherein the normals are adsorbed and the non-normals passed out of the system as an isomerate product. The fresh feed is controllably flow blended with the variable desorption effluent from the adsorber beds containing desorption normals and hydrogen purge gas in order to provide a constant flow of combined feed to the isomerization reactor.

Abstract: Normal paraffins are isolated from a feedstock mixture of normal and non-normal paraffins in the vapor phase at superatmospheric pressure using an adsorption system comprising at least four fixed adsorption beds containing a 5 Angstrom molecular sieve adsorbent, each of which cyclically undergoes the stages of (a) adsorption-fill, (b) adsorption, (c) void space purging, and (d) purge desorption. The improvement of the present process comprises recycling in the vapor phase in combination with feedstock the mixture of isoparaffins and normal paraffins purged from one bed of the system during stage (c) to another bed of the system undergoing stage (b). In conventional practice the void space contained hydrocarbons purged from each bed during stage (c) was cooled, separated from the purging gas, pumped to a holding tank in the liquid phase and thereafter reheated to form the vapor phase before being admixed with fresh feedstock for further treatment.