Abstract: Residual fractions from distillation of petroleum are rendered suitable for charge to catalytic cracking by high temperature, short time contact in a decarbonizing zone with a fluidizable solid particles of essentially inert character and low surface area to deposit high boiling components of the crude and metals on the fluidizable solid particles whereby Conradson Carbon values and metal content of the hydrocarbon feedstock are reduced to levels tolerable in catalytic cracking and carbon laid down on the inert fluidizable particles is burned in a burning zone separate from the decarbonizing zone. Heated inert particles are recycled at least in part to the decarbonizing zone and then to the burning zone.

Abstract: A process for effecting a deep cut in a heavy hydrocarbon material without a decrease in the quality of the extracted oil caused by the presence of undesirable entrained resinous bodies. The heavy hydrocarbon material is admixed with a solvent and introduced into a first separation zone maintained at an elevated temperature and pressure to effect a separation of the feed into a first light phase and a first heavy phase comprising asphaltenes and some solvent. The first light phase is introduced into a second separation zone maintained at an elevated temperature and pressure to effect a separation of the first light phase into a second light phase comprising oils and solvent and a second heavy phase comprising resins and some solvent. A portion of the first heavy phase is withdrawn and introduced into an upper portion of the second separation zone to contact the second light phase after which it separates therefrom.

Abstract: A solvent recovery portion of a solvent refining plant for producing oil products such as lubricating oils from a crude source of hydrocarbons such as petroleum hydrocarbons wherein there are provided at least three continuous flash stages or zones for which each successive stage or zone operates at pressure and temperature levels higher than the preceding one, the vapor from any successive stage or zone being employed as the heating medium in the preceding one to effect the vaporization in said preceding stage or zone.

Abstract: A more efficient separation of asphaltic materials from the heptane soluble components in liquified coal and other liquified solid hydrocarbonaceous materials is accomplished by using a natural gasoline fraction, boiling in the range of from 200.degree.-400.degree. F., as a solvent extraction agent and then effecting a centrifugal separation at elevated temperatures and pressures. The resulting separated asphaltic materials will have far less heptane soluble material than the heretofore used procedures which involved the settling out of the asphaltenes in huge settling tanks.

Abstract: A pyrolysis fuel oil (black oil) is contacted with a promoter liquid having a 5 volume percent distillation temperature of at least 250.degree. F. and a 95 volume percent distillation temperature of at least 350.degree. F. and no greater than about 750.degree. F., with the liquid having a characterization factor of at least 9.75 to promote the separation of quinoline insolubles and asphaltenes from the fuel oil. A fraction free of quinoline insolubles and having a reduced content of asphaltenes may be subjected to coking to produce a needle coke, or employed directly for the production of carbon black.

Abstract: A process for separating petroleum distillation residues into a lower boiling fraction and a higher boiling fraction. The separation is effected with the aid of a process gas under super-critical conditions of temperature and pressure such that the gas selectively takes up the lower boiling fraction. By suitable selection of the gas, the process can be carried out at relatively low temperature, and with low input energy requirements when performed with recycling of the process gas.

Abstract: A product useful as a pour point depressant which comprises the asphaltene component of a thermally treated shale oil is disclosed, as is a process for making it, a method for using it and a concentrate and a composition containing it.

Abstract: Hydrocarbon oils such as residual petroleum oils are efficiently deasphalted and demetallized with recovery of high quality asphalt by contact with a liquid mixture of at least two of the components selected from hydrogen sulfide, carbon dioxide and propane. The recovered deasphalted oil, which is characterized by reduced metal and sulfur content, may be used as charge stock to the fluid catalytic cracking process or to the hydrocracking process.

Abstract: Heavy hydrocarbon streams containing asphaltenes are hydrocracked in a first hydrocracking zone and asphaltenes are removed from the liquid effluent to form a deasphaltened liquid feed to a second hydrocracking zone.

Abstract: A more efficient separation of the asphaltenes from microcrystalline waxes in the bottoms from crude oil distillation is accomplished by using a natural gasoline fraction, boiling in the range of from 200.degree.-400.degree. F., as a solvent extraction agent and then effecting a centrifugal separation at elevated temperatures and pressures. The resulting separated asphaltenes will have far less microcrystalline wax content than the heretofore used procedures which involved the settling out of the asphaltenes in huge settling tanks.

Abstract: This invention relates to the production of oils of specified higher quality at the same yield or to the production of a higher yield of oils of the same quality from a bituminous material by a combination of propane and pentane deasphalting than would otherwise be obtainable by utilizing either propane or pentane deasphalting processes alone. This is effected by subjecting the bituminous material first to a pentane deasphalting process to produce a light fraction containing resins and oils, followed by a propane deasphalting process on the resin-oil fraction previously obtained and the recycle of at least a portion of the resins fraction back to the pentane deasphalting process.

Abstract: An asphalt containing mineral oil is simultaneously deasphalted and extracted in a combination zone by contacting the oil with a solvent comprising N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP) containing from 0-5 LV% water and a light hydrocarbon to produce a raffinate and extract phase, with the raffinate phase containing the desired oil, most of the hydrocarbon solvent and some NMP. The raffinate is then passed to a reduced pressure zone to remove most of the hydrocarbon solvent therefrom. The remaining raffinate oil and NMP solution is then chilled to produce bulk liquid-liquid immiscibility between the oil and NMP. The chilled oil and NMP are then passed to a settling zone wherein the NMP is separated from the oil and recycled back into the combination zone.

Abstract: A mixture of a hydrocarbon-selective solvent -- e.g. isobutane -- and deasphalted oil is separated in a two-stage hot-separator system at progressively higher temperatures and substantially the same pressure. Resulting vaporous phases are subjected to a cold-flash separation at a lower pressure and a considerably lower temperature. The initial hot separation, in the two-stage system, is effected at a temperature from about 1.0.degree. F. to about 25.degree. F. above the critical temperature of the solvent; the second is conducted at a temperature about 30.degree. F. to about 130.degree. F. above that in the initial hot-separation. This technique is especially advantageous when integrated into a catalytic slurry process for the conversion of metal- and asphaltene-containing hydrocarbonaceous black oils.

Abstract: Heavy hydrocarbon materials containing asphalt are separated into three different fractions according to chemical composition, namely, a paraffin-waxy fraction, a resin fraction, and an asphaltene-solids fraction, by a process comprising two-stage solvent treatment at different solvent-to-feed ratios and different temperatures. In another embodiment, a fourth product comprising an asphalt fraction can be produced by blending a portion of the resin fraction with a portion of the raffinate obtained from the first solvent extraction fraction stage.

Abstract: An apparatus and process for the solvent deasphalting of petroleum stocks. An asphaltene containing feedstock enters an intermediate point of a vertical trayed column and passes downward countercurrent to a rising solvent stream. The resulting extract stream rises through more trays and then through two adjacent U-tube heat exchange bundles stabbed into the column from opposite sides. Asphaltene containing substances are precipitated by this heating. The extract is then admixed by a horizontal shroud and a pair of horizontal baffles above the heat exchangers and retained in a quiescent settling zone before being removed from the column.

Abstract: A topped crude oil is admixed with a hydrocarbon solvent and centrifuged in the presence of a brine carrier to produce a hydrocarbon solvent-fuel oil mixture and a brine-asphalt-fuel oil mixture, the latter mixture being recovered and admixed with a ketone solvent which effects emulsion breaking and extracts residual fuel oil, a ketone solvent rich phase being subsequently recovered and subjected to fractionation to separate the fuel oil from the ketone solvent, the latter being recycled for further usage.

Abstract: An asphalt-containing mineral oil is deasphalted by contacting the oil with a liquid hydrogen sulfide deasphalting solvent for a time sufficient to remove a substantial portion of the asphalt from the oil. Utilization of liquid hydrogen sulfide as the deasphalting solvent is capable of giving high yields of deasphalted oil. In contrast to the use of aliphatic solvents for deasphalting, the hydrogen sulfide readily mixes with the heavy feed even at relatively low temperatures.

Abstract: A method for removing ash, asphaltenic, metallic and sulfurous contaminants from a black oil by contacting said oil with a liquid paraffinic solvent in the presence of water.

Abstract: The energy requirements of a process for the solvent extraction of hydrocarbons from residua are reduced by nearly 50%, and capital requirements reduced substantially by evaporating solvent from extracted hydrocarbons in two or more pressure stages, the first stage evaporation occurring at a pressure sufficiently high to permit condensation of the solvent at a temperature sufficient to be combined with the solvent feed to the extractor at the required extraction temperature.

Abstract: Maximum removal of asphaltic material, including high molecular weight metallic contaminants, from a hydrocarbonaceous charge stock is achieved through the utilization of a solvent extraction zone provided with direct heating facilities in an upper portion thereof.

Abstract: Maximum removal of asphaltic material, including high molecular weight metallic contaminants, from a hydrocarbonaceous charge stock is achieved through the utilization of a solvent extraction zone provided with direct top-heating facilities in the upper portion thereof. The top-heating section of the extraction zone is divided into two liquid-collecting zones in partial open communication with each other. A portion of the liquid is removed from the lower liquid-collecting zone, increased in temperature and returned to the extractor in the upper liquid-collecting zone. The flow rate of liquid withdrawn from the lower zone is controlled in response to the differential pressure between the two liquid-collecting zones.

Abstract: An asphalt-containing mineral oil is deasphalted by contacting the oil at elevated temperature and elevated pressure with a deasphalting solvent comprising acetone and a three carbon atom containing-hydrocarbon, such as propylene, for a time sufficient to remove a substantial portion of the asphaltenes from the oil. Utilization of propylene-acetone as the deasphalting solvent permits utilization of higher treating tower temperatures, which may be desirable in those instances where air cooling of the solvent is provided. This process is particularly suited for the preparation of lubricating oils of low asphalt content.

Abstract: Maximum removal of asphaltic material, including high molecular weight metallic contaminants, from a hydrocarbonaceous charge stock is achieved through the utilization of a solvent extraction zone provided with direct heating facilities in an upper portion thereof. A portion of the solvent-rich hydrocarbon phase is withdrawn from the extraction zone, increased in temperature and introduced into an asphalt settling zone. The separated solvent/hydrocarbon stream, substantially asphalt-free, is reintroduced into the extraction zone at the higher temperature.

Abstract: A raffinate product of residual oil solvent extraction is upgraded in a fluid zeolite catalyst cracking operation in the presence of one or more low molecular weight carbon-hydrogen fragment contributors. Gas oil products of atmospheric and vacuum distillation may be simultaneously converted by admixture with the raffinate charge. In addition the process is enhanced by the addition of straight run naphtha product of distillation with the raffinate charge.

Abstract: A process for removing metalliferous contaminants from a hydrocarbon feedstock is disclosed, comprising contacting the feedstock in the presence of hydrogen with a solid, said solid consisting essentially of an inert particulate solid having an average pore size in the range of from 1,000 to 10,000 A, preferably 5,000 to 7,000, and a surface area in the range of from 1 to 20 m.sup.2 /gram, preferably 2 to 10 m.sup.2 /gram.