Abstract: A process and apparatus for re-refining used lubricating oil (ULO) having thermally unstable additives such as zinc compounds. ULO is mixed with a superheated distillate which may be a recycle stream, an outside stream, or combination, then charged to a vacuum flash or fractionator, to produce an overhead vapor and a residual fraction comprising additives and/or decomposition products thereof. Overhead vapor is condensed to yield a liquid lubricant boiling range product. Superheating may occur in a fired heater, heat exchanger or combination. Mixing of superheated fluid and ULO may occur in a pipe in turbulent flow and/or an in line mixer. Energy efficiency is improved by heat exchanging ULO feed with vapor or liquid product streams. An aromatic rich and thermally stable outside stream such as FCC LCO can be readily superheated. Recovered lubricant boiling range material can be recycled, used as a lube stock or for FCC feed.

Abstract: A process and apparatus for re-refining used lubricating oil (ULO) having thermally unstable additives such as zinc compounds. ULO is mixed with a superheated distillate which may be a recycle stream, an outside stream, or combination, then charged to a vacuum flash or fractionator, to produce an overhead vapor and a residual fraction comprising additives and/or decomposition products thereof. Overhead vapor is condensed to yield a liquid lubricant boiling range product. Superheating may occur in a fired heater, heat exchanger or combination. Mixing of superheated fluid and ULO may occur in a pipe in turbulent flow and/or an in line mixer. Energy efficiency is improved by heat exchanging ULO feed with vapor or liquid product streams. An aromatic rich and thermally stable outside stream such as FCC LCO can be readily superheated. Recovered lubricant boiling range material can be recycled, used as a lube stock or for FCC feed.

Abstract: A process for re-refining used lubricating oil (ULO) having thermally unstable additives. ULO is heated by mixing with superheated lubricant boiling range hydrocarbons recovered and recycled from the process. The mixture of ULO feed and superheated hydrocarbons is charged to a vacuum column, producing an overhead vapor free of unstable additives and a residual fraction, containing additives. The overhead vapor is condensed to produce an overhead liquid of lubricant boiling range hydrocarbons, a portion of which is recovered as a product and a portion of which is recycled. The overhead liquid free of unstable additives, may be superheated without fouling to produce superheated fluid which can heat the ULO feed sufficiently to permit fractionation. Superheating may occur in a fired heater or preferably in a heat exchanger to prevent high temperatures and cracking of recycled liquid.

Abstract: A method of making a carbon/graphite product using a coal tar pitch having a softening point in the range of about 150° C. to 250° C. Also, a carbon/graphite product having a softening point in the range of about 150° C. to 250° C. A method of making mesophase pitch is formed from quinoline insoluble free coal tar pitch distillate from a high efficiency evaporative distillation process.

Abstract: A method is provided for improving high temperature performance grade properties of polymer-modified, vulcanized asphalt by treating an asphalt cement under mild oxidizing conditions sufficient to provide a change in viscosity per hour as measured at 140° C. of less than about 500 poises per hour, of said asphalt cement, adding 1 wt. % to 10 wt. % of a polymer based on weight of said asphalt cement, and vulcanizing the polymer-containing asphalt cement. The invention further relates to asphalt compositions thus made and paving compositions containing these asphalt compositions.

Abstract: A method of making the saturated aircraft brake preform using a coal tar pitch having a softening point in the range of about 160° C. to 240° C. Also, a product having natural rubber in the formulation and the method of making the product using a coal tar pitch having a softening point in the range of about 140° C. to 200° C. A mesophase pitch is formed from quinoline insoluble free coal tar pitch distillate from a high efficiency evaporative distillation process.

Abstract: A high coking value pitch with a relatively low softening point is disclosed. A pitch is distilled or thermally processed to produce an intermediate pitch with an increased coking value and relatively high softening point, then blended with a cutter solvent of a liquid hydrocarbon stream to form a product pitch. The process may be used to increase the coking value of either petroleum or coal tar pitch. Preferably the cutter solvent is methylnaphthalene, or a highly aromatic, low viscosity oil or similar aromatic rich stream having a substantially lower boiling point than the intermediate pitch product.

Abstract: An environmentally improved asphalt paving composition which contains a solvent-precipitated asphaltene, such as solvent deasphalting bottoms, and a viscosity reducing amount of paraffinic fluxing component, e.g., 325 Neutral Oil.

Abstract: In this combination process, solvent deasphalting (SDA) concentrates metals in the bottoms product which can be blended to asphalt as a product or for sending to the Calderon or similar process and outputs a high carbon (4+ concarbon) feed which is readily cracked to valuable transportation fuels by an RCC.RTM. cracking unit (or a conventional FCC with catalyst cooler and oxygen to the regenerator so that it acts as an RCC). The Rose process can be used instead of SDA to save utilities. By this invention, heavy crude can be converted to valuable transportation fuels and asphalt product, and catalyst make-up can be sharply reduced in the RCC or FCC unit because metals (asphaltenes and porphyrins) are removed before cracking. Novel asphalt compositions and blending are also disclosed. Asphalt from the SDA can preferably be blended with lube plant extract (or other aromatic extract) to produce specific asphalts meeting new SHRP specifications for paving.

Abstract: In this combination process, solvent deasphalting (SDA) concentrates metals in the bottoms product which can be blended to asphalt as a product or for sending to the Calderon or similar process and outputs a high carbon (4+ concarbon) feed which is readily cracked to valuable transportation fuels by an RCC.RTM. cracking unit (or a conventional FCC with catalyst cooler and oxygen to the regenerator so that it acts as an RCC). The Rose process can be used instead of SDA to save utilities. By this invention, heavy crude can be converted to valuable transportation fuels and asphalt product, and catalyst make-up can be sharply reduced in the RCC or FCC unit because metals (asphalteries and porphyrins) are removed before cracking. Novel asphalt compositions and blending are also disclosed. Asphalt from the SDA can preferably be blended with lube plant extract (or other aromatic extract) to produce specific asphalts meeting new SHRP specifications for paving.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is an improved pitch for making readily stabilizable, substantially nonmesophasic carbon fibers. The pitch has a softening point of about 250.degree. C. (480.degree. F.) or above and is produced from an unoxidized thermal petroleum pitch by selectively reducing or eliminating a portion of the low molecular weight materials in a very short period of time so that the tendency to produce mesophase pitch is eliminated or reduced and so that the chemical integrity of the components of the higher molecular weight fractions is preserved as much as possible. Also disclosed is a method of producing carbon fibers therefrom and rovings or mats from such fibers.

Abstract: Preparation of satisfactory asphaltic roofing fluxes from otherwise unsatisfactory fluxes is disclosed to involve addition of asphaltenes, and saturates in quantities which satisfy certain specified conditions. Air oxidation of a flux is shown to be surprisingly accelerated by the addition of highly branched saturates, especially in the presence of a carbonate oxidation catalyst.

Abstract: Preparation of satisfactory asphaltic roofing fluxes from otherwise unsatisfactory fluxes is disclosed to involve addition of asphaltenes, and saturates in quantities which satisfy certain specified conditions. Air oxidation of a flux is shown to be surprisingly accelerated by the addition of highly branched saturates, especially in the presence of a carbonate oxidation catalyst.

Abstract: Disclosed is a process for producing high grade asphaltic materials from low grade bituminous materials and the improved products resulting therefrom. More particularly, there is disclosed a process utilizing a particular type of oxidation catalyst in preparing novel high quality paving grade asphalt cements and novel roofing grade asphalts from poor and marginal quality bituminous materials. Also, the process can be used to prepare novel superior quality asphaltic materials from good quality bituminous flux feedstocks. This process consists of catalytically oxidizing asphalt fluxes, for example, in a single or multi-stage oxidation, using the particular type of catalyst disclosed hereinafter in each stage to chemically modify the flux so that the resultant asphaltic material meets physical requirements necessary for a finished product possessing good temperature susceptibility characteristics.

Abstract: Sodium carbonate, sodium sesquicarbonate and other carbonate catalysts ground to fine particle sizes (95% plus passing through a 200 mesh sieve (75 .mu.m) are more active than commercially available grades of such catalysts when oxidizing asphalt fluxes, permitting reduction in oxidation time, reduction in required catalyst quantities and improvement in product quality.