Deasphalting Process for Carbon Black Feed Optimization
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Solution Overview
Problem
The upgrading of residues from oil refining and distillation units, particularly for carbon black production, faces low yields and impurity issues due to the lack of optimization in feed quality, with existing methods like hydrotreatment reducing the quantity of aromatic carbon and requiring high pressure and temperature processes.
Innovation Solution
A process combining vacuum residue treatment in a solvent deasphalting unit with fluid catalytic cracking residue, skipping the hydrotreatment step, to produce a composition for carbon black production, which involves vacuum distillation, fluid catalytic cracking, filtration, and deasphalting to isolate the most aromatic cut without hydrogen incorporation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If hydrotreatment is used to remove impurities from carbon black precursor feed, then purity is improved, but the quantity of aromatic carbon is reduced and yield decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and removes only the harmful impurities (catalyst fines, metals, sulfur compounds) from the feed stream through filtration and deasphalting processes, while preserving the valuable aromatic carbon content. This selective extraction approach allows purification without the hydrogenation reactions that would consume aromatic carbon, thus resolving the contradiction between improving purity and maintaining aromatic carbon quantity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces intermediary separation processes (filtration, deasphalting with solvent extraction) as intermediate steps between the feed preparation and carbon black production. These intermediary processes remove impurities through physical separation mechanisms rather than chemical reaction, avoiding the hydrogen consumption that would reduce aromatic carbon content while still achieving the desired purification.
2Manufacturing precision
If hydrotreatment is applied to upgrade residues, then impurity removal is improved, but process complexity and operating conditions (pressure, temperature) increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the chemical reaction-based hydrotreatment process with physical separation mechanisms including filtration systems and deasphalting units using solvent extraction. This substitution of mechanical/physical methods for chemical processes achieves impurity removal without requiring high pressure, high temperature, and hydrogen gas handling infrastructure, thus reducing process complexity while maintaining purification effectiveness.
3Ease of manufacture
If conventional upgrading processes are used without optimization, then process simplicity is maintained, but yield and conversion are low
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by implementing filtration and deasphalting steps before the main carbon black production process. These preliminary purification actions remove catalyst fines and other impurities that would otherwise inhibit the carbon black formation reaction, thereby increasing yield and conversion without adding complex in-line optimization systems during the main production process.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach allows for moderate temperature and pressure operation, maintaining the quantity of aromatic carbon for carbon black production, increasing its yield and purity, and avoiding the reduction of reagents, thus optimizing the feed quality for carbon black production.
Implementation Method 1
a step for treatment in a solvent deasphalting unit of said vacuum residue in order to isolate the most aromatic cut
Implementation Method 2
said atmospheric residue is vacuum distilled in order to produce at least one vacuum distillate fraction and at least one vacuum residue fraction
Implementation Method 3
a step for filtration of the fine solid particles contained in said FCC residue obtained from cracking step 1)
Data Source
AI summary
A process for producing a composition as a feed for producing carbon black starting from an atmospheric residue, in which said atmospheric residue is vacuum distilled in order to produce at least one vacuum distillate fraction and at least one vacuum residue fraction, said vacuum distillate fraction being treated in accordance with at least the following two steps in succession:a step 1) for fluid catalytic cracking, producing a FCC residue,a step 2) for filtration of the fine solid particles contained in said FCC residue obtained from cracking step 1), resulting in a filtrate containing less than 300 ppm of particles below 10 microns,and in which, said vacuum residue fraction is supplied to a deasphalting step, resulting in a deasphalted vacuum residue fraction, at least a portion thereof being mixed with at least a portion of said filtrate from the filtration step 2) to form said composition.