Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for the recovery of hydrocarbon oils from other heavier oils such as vacuum residua and, more particularly, to an improved process for deasphalting petroleum oils containing those asphalts. In one aspect of the invention, the process treats a solvent which has contacted the heavy oil with a gaseous antisolvent to separate effectively and usually without distillation, the solvent from the extracted oil. The deasphalted oil product typically will have low metals contaminants and enhanced MCR. Utilities or energy requirements for the process may be improved over prior art processes.

Abstract: The invention pertains to improvements in a fluid handling system in which a working fluid passes through a rotor while undergoing a pressure change. A shaft extends longitudinally from and rotates with the rotor. A first seal surrounds the shaft in axially spaced relation to the rotor, and a lubricant having a minimum boiling point is injected into the first seal adjacent the shaft at a pressure sufficient to cause the lubricant to flow axially toward the rotor. A housing surrounds the rotor and shaft and defines a contact zone between the rotor and the first seal for receiving both lubricant and a contact fluid such as the working fluid or a seal buffer gas used to isolate the working fluid from the lubricant. The contact fluid has a maximum boiling point substantially less than the minimum boiling point of the lubricant.

Abstract: A method of recovering by distillation the separate components of a hydrocarbon gas mixture comprising ethylene, ethane, propylene and propane which comprises separating the ethylene and ethane as an overhead from a propylene and propane bottom in a first distillation tower at from about 400 to about 600 psia, separating ethylene and ethane as an ethylene overhead and an ethane bottom in a second distillation tower at from about 600 to about 700 psia, and separating propylene as an overhead from a propane bottom in a third distillation tower at from about 280 to about 300 psia is disclosed.

Abstract: A method of recovering by distillation the separate components of a hydrocarbon gas mixture comprising ethylene, ethane, propylene and propane which comprises separating the ethylene as an overhead from an ethane, propylene and propane bottom in a first distillation tower at from about 500 to about 650 psia, separating ethane as an overhead from a propylene and propane bottom in a second distillation tower at from about 390 to about 520 psia, and separating propylene as an overhead from a propane bottom in a third distillation tower at from about 100 to about 170 psia is disclosed.A method of separating ethylene and ethane from propylene and propane in a first distillation tower at from about 400 to about 600 psia, separating the overhead product from the first tower in a second tower at from about 600 to about 700 psia to produce ethylene and ethane products, and separating a propylene/propane mixture in a third tower at from about 100 to about 170 psia is disclosed.

Abstract: A method of making ethylene consisting in processing an ethylene gas condensate which is passed through a de-ethanizer to separate as gases the C.sub.2 -hydrocarbons with two carbon atoms, cooling said hydrocarbons to condensate a part thereof, feeding said hydrocarbons into a separator where the condensed phase is separated and recycled to the de-ethanizer, and feeding the non-condensed fraction of said hydrocarbons into an ethylene-recovering unit with which is associated a reboiling system for heating the fluid taken from said unit prior to recycling it to the latter, and further comprising the step of exchanging heat between the hydrocarbons from the de-ethanizer and the reflux fluid from said reboiling system so as to at least partially condensate the hydrocarbons fed to said separator.

Abstract: A control system for distillation column with a sidedraw line is provided wherein a prediction on the influence by changes in the feed stream with respect to the sidedraw composition is made.

Abstract: A selected paraffinic or olefinic liquid is used to scrub acetylene from a minor gas fraction of uncondensed gas from a hydrocarbon feed mixture containing ethylene, hydrogen, acetylene and methane. Hydrogen product gas is separated and recovered from said minor gas fraction. The major gas fraction is processed without said acetylene removal operation, but under elevated pressure conditions effectively avoiding acetylene solidification during the separation and recovery of an ethylene-enriched liquid.

Abstract: The fractionation and stripping equipment of a middle distillate catalytic dewaxing unit may be eliminated by integrating the catalytic dewaxing unit with a catalytic cracking unit. The light cycle oil sidestream from the cat cracker fractionator, bypasses the sidestream stripper and serves as the feed to the catalytic dewaxing unit. The dewaxed product is separated into a gasoline fraction which is recycled for fractionation in the cat cracker fractionator and a fuel oil fraction which is recycled to the cat cracker sidestream stripper for removal of light materials to produce a low pour fuel oil meeting product specifications.

Abstract: In a process for the separation of a gas mixture comprising a major amount of hydrocarbons, e.g., C.sub.1 -C.sub.3, wherein the gas mixture is liquefied by single or multi-stage partial condensation, where the liquid fractions thus formed are further separated in a first rectifying column, and where following the last stage of partial condensation the resultant gaseous fraction is subjected to rectification in a second rectifying column,the improvement which comprises the intermediate step of stripping substantially all the most volatile components e.g., C.sub.1, from the liquid fractions before the latter are fed into said first rectifying column.

Abstract: An improved dual fractionating process for hydrocarbons which employs a high pressure and a low pressure fractionating zone, light ends from the low pressure fractionating zone being introduced into the high pressure fractionating zone, heavy ends from the high pressure fractionating zone being introduced into the low pressure fractionating zone, the improvement being characterized by the introduction into one of the fractionating zones of a stable hydrocarbon stream, the hydrocarbon stream being stable under the conditions existing in the high pressure fractionating zone, at least a portion of the hydrocarbon stream having a boiling point lower than the boiling point of at least one of the unstable components which accumulates in the high pressure fractionating zone.

Abstract: An energy efficient process for the separation of two close boiling point components contained in a multi-component feed stream. The feed stream is distilled in a first column to produce a relatively light fraction containing substantially all the more volatile close boiling point component, along with part of the less volatile close boiling point component and a bottoms product. The relatively light overhead fraction from the first column is fed to a second column to produce an overhead product, consisting substantially of the more volatile close boiling point component and a bottoms product consisting substantially of the less volatile boiling point component. The bottoms product from the first column is fed to a third column to produce an overhead vapor consisting substantially of the less volatile close boiling point component, which overhead vapor is passed to the second column to supply part of the reboiling energy requirements for said column.

Abstract: High pressure raw natural gas is prepared for liquefaction by first removing water and acid gases and then expanding the gas from the wellhead pressure to remove shaft horsepower. The expanded gas is scrubbed with a C.sub.4 rich liquid previously separated from the gas to remove heavy hydrocarbons and then further dried and passed to the liquefaction zone.

Abstract: An improvement in the separation of a multi-component mixture, especially a well head stream, into gaseous and liquid phases by multi-component flash separation at reducing pressures, comprises recycling at least a part of the gaseous fraction recovered from a stage after the first stage to a preceding stage, and preferably the immediately preceding stage, to mix with the liquid phase which is separated in said preceding stage and at substantially the pressure of said preceding stage. This (a) increases the gas/liquid ratio in each stage, the amount of liquid recovered from the last stage and the proportion of medium-boiling components therein; (b) results in more gas being available from the higher pressure stages and (c) yields gases having narrower boiling ranges. Three separation stages are preferred and pipeline gas, crude LPG and a local fuel gas to supply the energy requirements of the separation can be derived from the gaseous fractions recovered from the separation stages.

Abstract: Described herein is a process for the recovery of light hydrocarbons from refinery gas by an expansion-distillation process. The refinery gas is compressed and cooled in a series of steps to liquify and remove light hydrocarbons from the refinery gas. The vapor portion remaining, comprised of methane, is expansively cooled thereby performing useful work. The expansively cooled vapor is used as a heat exchange medium for cooling the process stream. The liquified light hydrocarbons are separated by distillation.

Abstract: A reaction product effluent, containing hydrogen, normally gaseous hydrocarbons and normally liquid hydrocarbons, is separated into desired component streams in a system which incorporates a low-pressure flash zone, a debutanizer and a deethanizer. The net overhead vaporous product from the deethanizer is introduced into the flash zone, the liquid phase from which serves as a portion of the feed to the debutanizer. Preferably, the net overhead vaporous product from the debutanizer is also introduced into the flash zone.

Abstract: The (6-hydroxy-chroman-2-yl) acetic or carboxylic acid derivatives useful as antioxidants and a method for preparing these derivatives from hydroquinones and intermediates in this synthesis as well as the use of these derivatives as intermediates in the preparation of optically active alpha-tocopherol.