Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for the pretreatment of heavy oils using a catalytic hydrotreating process prior to introduction to a refinery. More specifically, the invention relates to the use of an HDM reactor and an HDS reactor in order to improve the characteristics of the heavy oil, such that when the oil is introduced into the refinery, the refinery can achieve improved throughputs, increased catalysts life, increased life cycles, and a reduction in overall operation costs.

Abstract: A method is described for controlling instability of operation in a de-ethanizer tower (13) in the gas recovery unit in fluid catalytic cracking units and delayed coking units. The method comprises the step of intervening in the de-ethanizer tower (13) when instability occurs in it, and adjusting the material balance of water in such a way that the excess of water in the feed load stream (9) is removed only as an azeotrope. The intervention is performed by introducing into the feed load stream (9) of the de-ethanizer tower (13) a volume fraction (18) of a flow of hydrocarbon, which may be either dry hydrocarbons or hydrocarbons with a low level of water content.

Abstract: A delayed coking process and apparatus which greatly shorten the required duration of the alternating drum fill and decoking cycles and eliminate the need to perform drum quenching, draining, unheading, hydraulic decoking, reheading, pressure testing, and warming procedures in the decoking cycle. In the inventive system, the decoking cycle preferably comprises simply a steamout stage and a coke product draining procedure. The coke product produced in the coking drums is a hot, solid, flowable material from which heat can be recovered for preheating the coker feed and/or producing steam.

Abstract: A method for upgrading the viscoelastic properties of a heavy oil by altering its elastic modulus. An effective amount of one or more elastic modulus lowering agents are used, wherein preferred elastic modulus lowering agents include mineral and organic acids and bases, preferably strong bases, such as hydroxides of metals selected from the alkali and alkaline-earth metals.

Abstract: A method for altering coke morphology in a delayed coking process of heavy oil is provided. An effective amount of oil dispersible or oil soluble metal salts of aromatic sulfonic acids and/or polysulfonic acids is added or contacted with the resid or heavy oil at a point before or after the step of heating the heavy oil to coking temperatures. The addition of additives facilitates the formation of shot coke and inhibits the formation of sponge coke.

Abstract: A process is provided for producing petroleum coke that is high in strength and sufficiently small in thermal expansion coefficient and sufficiently suppressed from puffing. The process includes coking a feedstock containing a first heavy oil having a sulfur content of 1.0 percent by mass or less, a nitrogen content of 0.5 percent by mass or less, and an aromatic index of 0.1 or greater, produced by hydrodesulfurizing a heavy oil with a sulfur content of 1 percent by mass or more under conditions (1) where the total pressure is 10 MPa or greater and less than 16 MPa and the hydrogen partial pressure is 5 MPa or greater and 16 MPa or less or conditions (2) where the total pressure is 20 MPa or greater and 25 MPa or less and the hydrogen partial pressure is greater than 20 MPa and 25 MPa or less, and a second heavy oil with an aromatic index of 0.3 or greater and an initial boiling point of 150° C. or higher.

Abstract: A process for upgrading unconventional or heavy oils such as, tar sands, shale oil, or bitumen. This process may include a coking scheme in which oil-containing solids, of suitable size, are fed directly into the riser of an FCC unit. Contacting a hot stream of solids causes vaporization and produces a gaseous product stream. The gaseous product may be separated out in a separating vessel and coked or unconverted oil-containing solids may be transferred to a gasifier for combustion at high temperatures to remove the coke and residual oil. Syngas from the gasifier may be converted to hydrogen using a water gas shift reaction. The hydrogen may be used for hydroprocessing.

Abstract: Integrated slurry hydrocracking (SHC) and coking methods for making slurry hydrocracking (SHC) distillates are disclosed. Representative methods involve passing a slurry comprising a vacuum column resid, a liquid coker product, and a solid particulate through an SHC reaction zone in the presence of hydrogen to obtain the SHC distillate. Atmospheric distillation in the SHC product recovery section yields a combined SHC gas oil/SHC pitch stream that is sent to coking to generate the liquid coker product. In a representative embodiment, vacuum distillation in the SHC product recovery is avoided, thereby eliminating equipment that is often most susceptible to fouling.

Abstract: A delayed coking process for making substantially free-flowing coke, preferably shot coke. A coker feedstock, such as a vacuum residuum, is heated in a heating zone to coking temperatures then conducted to a coking zone wherein volatiles are collected overhead and coke is formed. At least one polymeric additive is added to the feedstock prior to it being heated in the heating zone, prior to its being conducted to the coking zone, or both.

Abstract: A delayed coking process for making substantially free-flowing coke, preferably shot coke. A coker feedstock, such as a vacuum residuum, is heated in a heating zone to coking temperatures then conducted to a coking zone wherein volatiles are collected overhead and coke is formed. A low molecular weight additive is added to the feedstock prior to it being heated in the heating zone, prior to its being conducted to the coking zone, or both.

Abstract: A reduced puffing needle coke is formed from decant oil, which includes a lesser amount of nitrogen within the coke so that carbon articles produced from such coke experience minimal expansion upon heating to graphitization temperatures.

Abstract: A coking process and apparatus may include cracking a hydrocarbon feed stream with a catalyst, generating a hot flue gas from regenerating said catalyst, directing the hot flue gas into a spray contactor, spraying a heavy residual oil into the spray contactor, and coking the heavy residual oil utilizing the hot flue gas as a heat source. The hydrocarbon feed stream and the heavy residual oil may each or both be generated by a solvent deasphalter. The coking process produces a solid coke product and volatile hydrocarbons which leave with the hot gas and may be burned in an oxidizer to generate steam with the pressure energy recovered by a turbo-expander.

Abstract: The invention concerns a method for reducing coking on the metal walls of a reactor cracking hydrocarbons or other organic compounds and on the metal walls of a heat exchanger placed downstream of the cracking reactor, whereby the metal surfaces coming into contact with the organic substance to be cracked are pre-treated with a water vapor stream containing at least silicon and at least a sulphur compound.

Abstract: A process is disclosed for producing needle coke from heavy atmospheric distillation residues having sulfur no more than 0.7 wt %, which process involves the steps of heating the feedstock to a temperature in the range of 440 to 520° C. for thermal cracking in a soaking column under pressure in the range of 1 to 10 kg/cm2 to separate the easily cokable material, separating the cracked products in a quench column and a distillation column and then subjecting the hydrocarbon fraction from the bottom of the quench column and a hydrocarbon fraction having a boiling point in the range of 380 to 480° C. from the distillation column and/or any other suitable heavier hydrocarbon streams in a definite ratio depending on certain characteristic parameters to thermal cracking in a second soaking column at a temperature of 460 to 540° C.

Abstract: Coker heater operation is improved by on-line spalling of coker heater pipes. In one embodiment an off-line pipe is added to the on-line coker heater pipes. When an on-line pipe is to be spalled, flow is diverted to the off-line pipe allowing for full operation of the coker heater. In another embodiment, a thermal transfer resistant zone plate is movably mounted in the radiant section of the coker heater. By moving the zone plate from an operating position to a spalling position and adjusting the temperature of the plurality of burners, the temperature of the pipes in the zone of the heater radiant section to be spalled can be lowered, while the temperature in the remaining zones of the heater radiant section are fully operational.

Abstract: Tubes within a radiant heating section of a coking furnace are arranged differently than in a single vertical column and connected together in a simple, planar serpentine pattern. The tubes are arranged in a plurality of offset or staggered vertical columns. This arrangement permits the upper tubes to be close to the radiant heat source and also allows the tube bends connecting adjacent tubes to be of greater radius, so that the pressure at which the feedstock is passed through the tube bundle can be lower allowing more vaporization of the cracked process fluids.

Abstract: The invention relates to a process for upgrading tar using a heat exchanger in series with a vapor/liquid separator to separate tar into a heavy tar asphaltenic material and a deasphalted tar material.

Abstract: The present invention falls within the field of purifying oil-laden wastewater, which provides a method for purifying coke-cooling wastewater in a delayed coking process in petroleum chemical field. The method comprises the following steps: (a) cooling the coke-cooling wastewater produced in a delayed coking process to 5-55° C. under 0.1-0.25 MPa absolute pressure, to obtain cooled coke-cooling wastewater; (b) subjecting the cooled coke-cooling wastewater to solid-liquid separation, to obtain a coke breeze phase and a liquid phase; (c) further separating the obtained liquid phase, to obtain an oil phase and a water phase; and (d) further discharging water from the obtained oil phase, to obtain the separated oil phase. The present invention also provides an equipment for carrying out the method.

Abstract: A method for thermally cracking a hydrocarbonaceous feed wherein the feed is first processed in an atmospheric thermal distillation step to form a light gasoline and atmospheric residuum mixture. The light gasoline/residuum combination is gasified at least in part in a vaporization step, and the gasified product of the vaporization step is thermally cracked.

Abstract: A process for fractionating crude pitch by direct contact heating with molten metal is disclosed. The crude pitch, which may contain water, contaminants and/or distillables is heated by direct contact heat exchange with molten metal, preferably maintained as a metal continuous bath, operating at a temperature of 100 to 600° C. The molten metal heating zone is maintained at a temperature and pressure sufficient to vaporize a desired amount of contaminants or volatile material from crude pitch to produce pitch product having a desired softening point. New pitch materials, having a softening point above those achievable by conventional techniques, are also produced.

Abstract: A process for producing pitch from pitch precursors, such as wood tar, coal tar or petroleum fractions is disclosed. Direct contact heat exchange of the pitch precursor with molten metal, preferably maintained as a metal continuous bath, heats the pitch precursor to a temperature sufficient to induce thermal polymerization reactions and produce a pitch product.

Abstract: The present invention comprises a method for processing a heavy hydrocarbon feed including: supplying the heavy hydrocarbon feed to a heater for heating the heavy hydrocarbon feed; supplying the heated heavy hydrocarbon feed to an atmospheric fractionating tower for fractionating the heated heavy hydrocarbon feed fed to the inlet of the atmospheric fractionating tower producing light atmospheric fractions and atmospheric bottoms; supplying the atmospheric bottoms to a further heater for heating the atmospheric bottoms and producing heated atmospheric bottoms; supplying the heated atmospheric bottoms to a vacuum fractionating tower for fractionating the heated atmospheric bottoms and producing light vacuum fractions and vacuum residue; supplying the vacuum residue to a solvent deasphalting (SDA) unit for producing deasphalted oil (DAO) and asphaltenes from the vacuum residue; supplying the deasphalted oil to a deasphalted oil thermal cracker for thermally cracking the deasphalted oil and producing a thermally

Abstract: A process and an apparatus for removing particulate material from a flash zone gas oil stream produced in a delayed coking unit. The process and apparatus of the invention employ cyclonic separation to remove particulate material from the flash zone gas oil stream. The stream can then be further processed, for example by passing the stream to a fixed bed catalytic hydroprocessing unit and then to a fluidized bed catalytic cracking unit, or to other processing units, thereby enhancing the value of the flash zone gas oil stream.

Abstract: In an embodiment, the invention relates to a method for reducing coke agglomeration in petroleum streams derived from coking processes. In a preferred embodiment, the invention relates to a method for mitigating filter fouling from a coker gas oil by using a pusher gas substantially free of molecular oxygen.

Abstract: In an embodiment, the invention relates to a method for reducing coke agglomeration in petroleum streams derived from coking processes. In a preferred embodiment, the invention relates to a method for mitigating filter fouling from a coker gas oil wherein an oxygen scavenger is employed to remove molecular oxygen and peroxides.

Abstract: A process for substantially decreasing fouling in a refinery unit. The process comprises preheating a feed to said refinery unit reactor zone and there-after introducing the feed into said refinery unit reactor zone for reaction. The feed is preheated for a time and at a temperature sufficient to cause an effective amount of any polymers and/or oligomers contained in feed to decompose or unzip to substantially reduce fouling in the refinery unit.

Abstract: The present invention provides a process for the preparation of an electrode binder, which process comprises:

Abstract: Process for the conversion of heavy charges such as heavy crude oils, tars from oil sands and distillation residues, by the combined use of the following three process units: hydroconversion with catalysts in slurry phase (HT), distillation or flash (D), deasphalting (SDA), characterized in that the three units operate on mixed streams consisting of fresh charge and recycled streams, by the use of the following steps:

Abstract: A process for decreasing fouling in a refinery unit comprising preheating a hydrocarbon feed to a refinery unit reactor zone and thereafter introducing the feed into the refinery unit reactor zone for reaction. The feed contains polymers and oligomers, and is preheated for a time and at a temperature sufficient such that when the feed is introduced into the refinery unit reaction zone for reaction, the combination of the pre-heating and heating attributable to the reaction zone causes at least 85% of the polymers and oligomers contained in the feed to unzip and wherein no more than about 5 wt % coke is formed in said feed during the preheating step.

Abstract: A process for decreasing fouling in a refinery unit.

Abstract: A method for making an oil soluble coking process additive, includes the steps of: providing mixture of a metal salt in water wherein the metal salt contains a metal selected from the group consisting of alkali metals, alkaline earth metals and mixtures thereof; providing a heavy hydrocarbon; forming an emulsion of the mixture and the heavy hydrocarbon; heating the emulsion so as to react the metal salt with components of the heavy hydrocarbon so as to provide a treated hydrocarbon containing oil soluble organometallic compound, wherein the organometallic compound includes the metal and is stable at a temperature of at least about 300° C. The oil soluble additive and a process using same are also disclosed.

Abstract: Solid waste resource recovery in space is effected by pyrolysis processing, to produce light gases as the main products (CH4, H2, CO2, CO, H2O, NH3) and a reactive carbon-rich char as the main byproduct. Significant amounts of liquid products are formed under less severe pyrolysis conditions, and are cracked almost completely to gases as the temperature is raised. A primary pyrolysis model for the composite mixture is based on an existing model for whole biomass materials, and an artificial neural network models the changes in gas composition with the severity of pyrolysis conditions.

Abstract: Coated steel articles are described which exhibit anti-coking properties, and a process for producing such articles by depositing an anti-coking coating on a matrix constituted by a steel, in general a refractory steel. These articles comprise: a refractory steel substrate comprising at least 0.2% by weight of carbon; a carbon-rich diffusion barrier; and an outer layer containing 90% to 99% by weight of chromium, coated by a cementation method. More particularly, the coated steel articles constitute tubes for reactors or stills used in various refining or petrochemical processes.

Abstract: A system and method to improve the efficiency of delayed coker charge heating by effecting and controlling the temperature of a coker process fluid, prior to its introduction to a coker charge heater. In its preferred embodiment, the instant invention strategically positions and controls a pre-heater to automatically stabilize and minimize delayed coker charge heater firing rates. Said pre-heater's set point is derived by a feed forward control system that allows for the detection of process fluid temperature within a combination tower bottom, and communicates that temperature value to a pre-heater. Based upon the temperature value communicated to the pre-heater, the pre-heater intensifies, maintains, or decreases its firing to effect an operationally consistent combination tower bottoms temperature. By maintaining nearly constant combination tower bottoms temperature, a delayed coker charge heater derives enhanced operational efficiency and increases its life expectancy.

Abstract: The invention is a process for making anode grade coke which comprises solvent deasphalting a residue feedstock to obtain an essentially asphaltene-free, resin-containing stream and coking the resin-containing stream in a delayed coker to make anode coke. The solvent deasphalting can make a deasphalted oil stream containing resin or separate deasphalted oil and resin streams. There can be hydrotreating of (1) a minor portion of the residue feedstock wherein the hydrotreated residue is fed to the delayed coker with the resin-containing stream, (2) the resin-containing stream wherein the hydrotreated resin stream is fed to the delayed coker, or (3) a major portion of the residue feedstock wherein the hydrotreated residue is fed to the solvent deasphalting unit.

Abstract: In a delayed coking process, furnace tube fouling is minimized by including a measured amount of full boiling range heavy gas oil as an additive in the furnace feed, preferably by forced recycle from a heavy gas oil stream. An additive is preferably supplied directly to individual furnace tubes by multiple circumferential injection upstream of each tube receiving the additive.

Abstract: A method for recycling a waste stream containing water and solids comprises (a) removing water from the waste stream to produce a second stream containing less than 60% by weight water, (b) drying the second stream to produce a waste feed charge containing less than 15% by weight water, and (c) injecting the waste feed charge into a coker during the coking cycle. The water removal can be carried out in one or more steps, and can be carried out in a vertical disk centrifuge if it is also desired to reduce the particle size of the solids fraction. The waste feed charge can be injected into a delayed coker, flexicoker, or fluid coker, and allows the recycle of solid waste into the coke.

Abstract: A cyclic process for the purification of a diolefin hydrocarbon stream produced in a naphtha steam cracker to produce a high quality diolefin hydrocarbon stream having extremely low levels of acetylene over an extended period because of the ability to readily cyclically regenerate catalyst contained in an off-line selective hydrogenation reaction zone. The spent or partially spent catalyst is contacted with a stream containing naphtha and hydrogen to restore at least a portion of the fresh catalyst activity by the extraction of polymer compounds therefrom.

Abstract: The return bend elbow fittings connecting adjacent tubes in a delayed coker furnace are improved by subjecting the interior surface of the fittings to a diffusion hardfacing process.

Abstract: A method for making an oil soluble coking process additive, includes the steps of: providing mixture of a metal salt in water wherein the metal salt contains a metal selected from the group consisting of alkali metals, alkaline earth metals and mixtures thereof; providing a heavy hydrocarbon; forming an emulsion of the mixture and the heavy hydrocarbon; heating the emulsion so as to react the metal salt with components of the heavy hydrocarbon so as to provide a treated hydrocarbon containing oil soluble organometallic compound, wherein the organometallic compound includes the metal and is stable at a temperature of at least about 300° C. The oil soluble additive and a process using same are also disclosed.

Abstract: A process for resolving even tightly emulsified oil, water and solid emulsions by the application of a sheer force sufficient to break the emulsion. In one particular application, a tank bottom sludge produced in the petroleum industry is treated with the shear force of a bal or roller mill into the emulsion is broken. Simultaneous reduction in the particle size of the solids occurs. This process produces a commercial grade oil, water and an aqueous slurry of solids devoid of oily compounds. The oil-free solid phase produced thereby is suited for use in a coker quench stream.

Abstract: A process for upgrading petroleum residua to more valuable products by visbreaking or otherwise thermally cracking a petroleum residuum to produce a thermally cracked bottoms stream, vacuum distilling at least a portion of the thermally cracked bottoms stream to produce a vacuum distilled thermally cracked pitch, blending a portion of the pitch with a hydrocarbon residuum that is not a vacuum distilled thermally cracked pitch to produce a delayed coker feed component, producing a delayed coker heater charge having a recycle ratio, by weight, of less than about 1.27:1, and introducing the coker heater charge into a delayed coker.

Abstract: A process for producing normally gaseous olefins from two different process units sharing common downstream quench and fractionation facilities, wherein one of the process units is a short contact time mechanically fluidized vaporization unit for processing petroleum residual feedstocks and the other is a conventional steam cracking unit.

Abstract: A method is provided for cooling prior to decoking a petroleum coke drum having a substantially solidified mass of petroleum coke by initiating the injection of water into the coke drum while the average temperature of the coke within the coke drum is greater than about 500.degree. F., wherein the average flow rate of water injected into the coke drum over the initial 10 minute period of water injection is from about 0.0033 to about 0.01 gpm per cubic foot of coke in the coke drum; and thereafter continuing the injection of water into the drum for a total injection time of at least about 60 minutes, at a flow rate during the 50 minute period immediately following the initial 10 minute period less than about 0.0036 to about 0.011 gpm per cubic foot of coke in the coke drum.

Abstract: In a first embodiment of the invention, a method for determining the hydrogen-to-carbon ratio of a liquid hydrocarbon fraction is presented. A sample of the liquid fraction is subjected to an ultra-violet absorption analysis. The results of the analysis correlate directly to the hydrogen-to-carbon ratio of the hydrocarbon fraction and, with a knowledge of this correlation, the hydrogen-to-carbon ratio of the sample under analysis may be determined. Another embodiment provides a method for monitoring the performance of a process for the preparation of olefins by the thermal cracking of a hydrocarbon feedstock. A liquid fraction is recovered from the product of the thermal cracking and subjected to an ultra-violet absorption analysis. The result of the analysis correlates directly to the hydrogen-to-carbon ratio of the product, which in turn correlates to the cracking severity being applied in the thermal cracking process.

Abstract: The invention relates to a process for recycling waste which consists essentially of one or more plastics comprising polyvinyl chloride (PVC), in which:the waste is mixed with a heavy oil, in a reactor under an inert atmosphere, at an internal temperature of at least 300.degree. C., and the hydrogen chloride (HCl) which is evolved is collected;the contents of the reactor are then cracked at a temperature of at least 400.degree. C., and at least part of the gases which are evolved are extracted from the reactor;the contents of the reactor are then cooled and the residual solid product is collected.HCl, coke, hydrocarbon gases and various oils are thus mainly obtained.

Abstract: A residual oil feedstock comprises carbon residue measured according to ASTM D-4530. The feedstock is admixed with water/steam in an amount of 10 wt % to 30 wt % and optionally a hydrogen donor, such as methane and/or gas oil derived from recycle. The resulting admixture is subjected to delayed coking reaction conditions. The process yields hydrocarbon liquids in an increased amount. Coke make and gas make are thereby reduced.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are a process for producing needle coke, which comprises reducing the ash content in a heavy oil obtained from fluid catalytic cracking of petroleum or in a hydrocarbon material mainly composed of said heavy oil to not more than 0.01 wt % by means of (1) filtration, (2) centrifugation, (3) electrostatic aggregation or (4) a combination thereof, and coking the thus treated heavy oil or hydrocarbon material with an ash content of not more than 0.01 wt %; and a needle coke produced by coking a heavy oil obtained from fluid catalytic cracking of petroleum or a hydrocarbon material mainly composed of said heavy oil.

Abstract: An improved fluidized bed coking process wherein a residuum feedstock is introduced into a first stage comprised of a short vapor contact time reactor containing a horizontal moving bed of fluidized hot particles. Carbonaceous material is deposited onto the hot particles on contact with the hot particles, and a vapor product is produced. The hot particles, containing the carbonaceous deposits, are fed to a second stage fluidized bed coking process.

Abstract: In a delayed coking process the temperature of the liquid in the coke drum is increased by the addition of a heated non-coking hydrocarbon diluent. The heated non-coking diluent can be added to either a delayed coker furnace effluent prior to entering the coke drum, directly into the coke drum, or both. The resulting increase in coke drum temperature results in increased liquid yields and a decrease in coke yields.