Abstract: Asphalt binders and related methods and uses are provided. In some embodiments, the asphalt binder is produced by: providing a high-asphaltene content petroleum feedstock; performing solvent deasphalting on the feedstock to produce a partially deasphalted oil and an asphaltene-rich residue; and collecting the partially deasphalted oil (DAO). The high-asphaltene content petroleum feedstock may comprise residue from vacuum distillation or flash separation of extra heavy oil or bitumen, or recycled asphalt. The DAO may itself be used as the asphalt binder or may be a component of a blend with the original feedstock. Asphalt binders may also be produced by blending residue and heavy distillate produced from vacuum distillation or flash separation, with DAO or the asphaltene-rich residue of the solvent deasphalting process. The disclosed methods allow for production of asphalt binders of a wide variety of performance grades.

Abstract: A non-aqueous extraction (NAE) process for producing bitumen from oil sands ore can include a multistage bitumen extraction step where paraffinic solvent and deasphalted oil are added at a downstream stage of extraction at solvent-to-bitumen ratios below asphaltene precipitation onset threshold to remove bitumen from the solid mineral material, while the ore is added to a first stage to mix with the solvent-bitumen mixture and produce solvent diluted bitumen. The process includes recovering the solvent diluted bitumen and the solvent diluted tailings from the extraction step. The solvent diluted bitumen is subjected to deasphalting to produce solvent diluted deasphalted bitumen that is used as a source of the paraffinic solvent and deasphalted oil supplied to extraction. The tailings and asphaltene fraction from deasphalting can be subjected to washing and the washed material can then be subjected to sand solvent recovery.

Abstract: A non-aqueous extraction (NAE) process for producing bitumen from oil sands ore can include a multistage bitumen extraction step where paraffinic solvent and deasphalted oil are added at a downstream stage of extraction at solvent-to-bitumen ratios below asphaltene precipitation onset threshold to remove bitumen from the solid mineral material, while the ore is added to a first stage to mix with the solvent-bitumen mixture and produce solvent diluted bitumen. The process includes recovering the solvent diluted bitumen and the solvent diluted tailings from the extraction step. The solvent diluted bitumen is subjected to deasphalting to produce solvent diluted deasphalted bitumen that is used as a source of the paraffinic solvent and deasphalted oil supplied to extraction. The tailings and asphaltene fraction from deasphalting can be subjected to washing and the washed material can then be subjected to sand solvent recovery.

Abstract: A method for processing an acidic hydrocarbon feed comprising a hydrocarbon material and an acidic constituent soluble in the feed is provided. The method may comprise contacting the feed under a first condition with an active agent having an initial solubility in the feed and the acidic constituent and providing a second condition wherein the active agent has a secondary solubility in the feed lesser than the initial solubility to form a separable enriched active agent phase. The acidic constituent solubility in the active agent may be greater than its solubility in the hydrocarbon material under both the first and second conditions such that the acidic constituent dissolves in the active agent. The acidic constituent solubility in the active agent under the second condition may be greater than its solubility in the active agent under the first condition.

Abstract: It provides for processing a dehydrated and salty hydrocarbon feed having a solid salt dispersed in a hydrocarbon material by contacting the feed with an active agent under a first operating condition under which the active agent has an initial active agent solubility in the hydrocarbon material, and modulating operating conditions to provide a second operating condition under which the active agent has a secondary active agent solubility in the hydrocarbon material that is less than the initial active agent solubility so as to form a separable active agent phase, wherein the salt solubility in the active agent is substantially greater than the salt solubility in the hydrocarbon material under both the first and second operating conditions such that the salt dissolves in the active agent, allowing the separable active agent phase to separate from the hydrocarbon material depleted in the salt.

Abstract: In various aspects, the invention provides for processing a hydrocarbon feed having hydrocarbon and emulsified aqueous components demulsifying into hydrocarbon and aqueous phases over an initial demulsification time, with an active agent to form a treated feed. The active agent has an active agent solubility in the hydrocarbon component and in the aqueous component, the aqueous component has an aqueous component solubility in the hydrocarbon component. The active agent solubility in the hydrocarbon component is greater than the aqueous component solubility in the hydrocarbon component. The active agent solubility in the aqueous component is greater than the active agent solubility in the hydrocarbon component. The active agent solubility in the aqueous component is greater than the active agent solubility in the hydrocarbon component.

Abstract: A method for processing an acidic hydrocarbon feed comprising a hydrocarbon material and an acidic constituent soluble in the feed is provided. The method may comprise contacting the feed under a first condition with an active agent having an initial solubility in the feed and the acidic constituent and providing a second condition wherein the active agent has a secondary solubility in the feed lesser than the initial solubility to form a separable enriched active agent phase. The acidic constituent solubility in the active agent may be greater than its solubility in the hydrocarbon material under both the first and second conditions such that the acidic constituent dissolves in the active agent. The acidic constituent solubility in the active agent under the second condition may be greater than its solubility in the active agent under the first condition.

Abstract: The invention provides for processing a dehydrated and salty hydrocarbon feed having a solid salt dispersed in a hydrocarbon material by contacting the feed with an active agent under a first operating condition under which the active agent has an initial active agent solubility in the hydrocarbon material, and modulating operating conditions to provide a second operating condition under which the active agent has a secondary active agent solubility in the hydrocarbon material that is less than the initial active agent solubility so as to form a separable active agent phase, wherein the salt solubility in the active agent is substantially greater than the salt solubility in the hydrocarbon material under both the first and second operating conditions such that the salt dissolves in the active agent, allowing the separable active agent phase to separate from the hydrocarbon material depleted in the salt.

Abstract: In various aspects, the invention provides for processing a hydrocarbon feed having hydrocarbon and emulsified aqueous components demulsifying into hydrocarbon and aqueous phases over an initial demulsification time, with an active agent to form a treated feed. The active agent has an active agent solubility in the hydrocarbon component and in the aqueous component, the aqueous component has an aqueous component solubility in the hydrocarbon component. The active agent solubility in the hydrocarbon component is greater than the aqueous component solubility in the hydrocarbon component. The active agent solubility in the aqueous component is greater than the active agent solubility in the hydrocarbon component. The active agent solubility in the aqueous component is greater than the active agent solubility in the hydrocarbon component.

Abstract: A seal assembly used in combination with a trocar assembly and disposed and structured to establish sealing engagement with the exterior surface of medical instrument introduced into the trocar assembly so as to maintain adequate insufflation pressure within a body cavity accessed by the trocar assembly. The seal assembly includes a seal member unconnected to and freely moveable, at least laterally, within a seal chamber of the trocar assembly. The seal member and the seal chamber are cooperatively dimensioned to maintain one or more outer peripheral surfaces of the seal member in surrounding, sealing relation to one or both of the inlet and outlet ports of the seal chamber thereby eliminating or reducing the escape of insuflation gas through the trocar assembly when an instrument is present therein.

Abstract: The present invention relates generally to the devulcanization of rubber. More specifically, the present invention relates to a process for the hydro-devulcanization of vulcanized rubber utilizing a rubber swelling solvent, a source of reactive hydrogen and elevated temperature and, optimally, also uses a dispersed molecular-scale hydrogenation catalyst that is introduced into the vulcanized rubber in a catalytically inert form that is soluble in the rubber swelling solvent.

Abstract: A seal assembly used in combination with a trocar assembly to maintain sealing engagement with the exterior surface of medical instrument, which may have different size diameters, introduced into the trocar assembly so as to maintain adequate insufflation pressure within a body cavity accessed by the trocar assembly. The seal assembly includes a seal member and is structured to permit free movement of the seal member at least radially within a chamber of a seal housing which may be attached to or part of the trocar housing. The seal member and the sealing chamber are cooperatively dimensioned to maintain at least the periphery of an outer surface of the seal member in surrounding relation to an inlet port of the chamber and thereby maintain seal engagement between corresponding interior surfaces of the chamber and the corresponding outer surfaces of the seal member.

Abstract: A tissue penetrating instrument of the type used in the medical field and which may or may not be embodied in the form of an obturator associated with a trocar assembly, wherein the instrument includes an elongated shaft having a penetrating tip mounted on one end thereof. The penetrating tip includes a base secured to the one end of the shaft and a distal extremity spaced longitudinally outward from the base and formed into an apex which may be defined by a point or other configuration specifically structured to facilitate penetration or puncturing of bodily tissue. The apex may be substantially aligned with a linear extension of the central longitudinal axis of the shaft or alternatively, may be spaced laterally outward or off-set from the central longitudinal axis of the shaft.

Abstract: An assembly structured to selectively orient a seal between an open position and a closed position. The assembly includes an expander structure disposable into a seal open or a seal closed orientation by being rotated or otherwise movable into and out of forced engagement with predetermined portions of the seal structure. The seal open orientation disposes the seal structure out of engagement with an instrument passing there through and may also facilitate a rapid venting of insufflation gas from an inflated body cavity, such as when the seal positioning assembly is used with a trocar assembly involved in the performance of laprascopic or like surgery. A biasing assembly may be connected to the seal structure to bias it in a normally closed position in the absence of an instrument disposed within the seal structure.

Abstract: A tissue penetrating instrument of the type used in the medical field and which may or may not be embodied in the form of an obturator associated with a trocar assembly, wherein the instrument includes an elongated shaft having a penetrating tip mounted on one end thereof. The penetrating tip includes a base secured to the one end of the shaft and a distal extremity spaced longitudinally outward from the base and formed into an apex which may be defined by a point or other configuration specifically structured to facilitate penetration or puncturing of bodily tissue. The apex may be substantially aligned with a linear extension of the central longitudinal axis of the shaft or alternatively, may be spaced laterally outward or off-set from the central longitudinal axis of the shaft.

Abstract: A method of monitoring employee online activity, including: importing firewall log files to a database to generate master activity files, wherein the master activity files includes data on Internet usage, e-mail usage and dial-in connections; importing current employee and company organizational structure information to the database; using the master activity files and the current employee and organizational structure information to produce summary reports on employee on-line activity; and providing the electronic summary reports to employees in response to a request for the information from the employee, wherein the summary reports include information on the employee as well as all other employees under the employee in the company organizational structure.

Abstract: A package assembly designed to removably contain an elongated product wherein the product may particularly be a medical product such as a catheter or like instrument incorporating a sharp point end. The package is structured to provide secure storage of the medical product in a sterile environment prior to opening, clear exposure to a portion of the product for grasping and removal thereof and reinsertion of the product and enclosing thereof, so as to ensure safety in the disposal of the product by effectively enclosing the portion thereof incorporating a pointed needle end thereby avoiding inadvertent harm during or after the packaged product has been disposed.