Integrated Solvent Deasphalting and Coking Process for Green Coke
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current refining processes face challenges in effectively removing asphaltenes, sulfur, nitrogen, and metal contaminants from heavy crude oils, which hampers the production of high-quality petroleum green coke and liquid/gas coker products, leading to catalyst deactivation and reduced product yields.
Innovation Solution
An integrated enhanced solvent deasphalting and delayed coking process is implemented, utilizing a solid adsorbent to adsorb contaminants, followed by solvent desorption and recycling, resulting in a deasphalted oil with reduced contaminants, which is then thermally cracked to produce high-quality petroleum green coke and coker products.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If conventional solvent deasphalting and coking processes are used, then heavy crude oils can be processed, but asphaltenes, sulfur, nitrogen, and metal contaminants are not effectively removed, leading to catalyst deactivation and reduced product yields
Solution Approach 1:
The process segments the contaminant removal into distinct stages: first removing asphaltenes via solvent deasphalting, then removing sulfur, nitrogen, and metals through adsorption with solid adsorbents in a separate step before coking. This multi-stage segmentation allows each stage to target specific contaminants, achieving comprehensive purification that single-stage processes cannot accomplish.
Solution Approach 2:
Solid adsorbents serve as intermediary materials that selectively bind and remove sulfur, nitrogen, and metal contaminants from the deasphalted oil. These adsorbents act as mediators between the feedstock and the coking process, capturing harmful impurities and preventing their transfer to the catalyst and final products.
2Productivity
If heavy crude oils with high contaminant content are processed directly, then production volume is maintained, but catalysts are deactivated and product yields are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The process performs preliminary contaminant removal through solvent deasphalting and adsorption before the coking process begins. By pre-removing asphaltenes, sulfur, nitrogen, and metals, the feedstock entering the coker is significantly cleaner, preventing catalyst deactivation and ensuring stable, high-yield operation throughout the catalyst's life cycle.
Solution Approach 2:
The process extracts harmful contaminants (asphaltenes, sulfur, nitrogen, metals) from the heavy crude oil feedstock before coking. This extraction of impurities separates the valuable hydrocarbon components from the harmful constituents, allowing the coking process to operate on purified feed and maintain both high productivity and catalyst reliability.
3Ease of manufacture
If asphaltenes and contaminants are not removed, then processing simplicity is maintained, but coke formation increases and product quality deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The process changes the chemical composition parameters of the feedstock by removing asphaltenes, sulfur, nitrogen, and metals through solvent deasphalting and adsorption. These parameter changes in the feedstock quality directly reduce unwanted coke formation and improve product quality, demonstrating how controlling feed composition parameters can eliminate harmful byproducts.
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 process produces low-sulfur, low-metal content petroleum green coke suitable for marketable grades, such as anode and electrode grades, while extending catalyst life and improving product yields by minimizing contaminant-induced coke formation and catalyst deactivation.
Implementation Method 1
utilizing a solid adsorbent to adsorb contaminants
Implementation Method 2
followed by solvent desorption and recycling
Implementation Method 3
which is then thermally cracked to produce high-quality petroleum green coke and coker products
Data Source
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AI summary
An integrated process is provided for producing deasphalted oil, high quality petroleum green coke and liquid coker products. An enhanced solvent deasphalting process is used to treat the feedstock to reduce the leve! of asphatenes, N, S and metal contaminants and produce a deasphalted oil with reduced contaminants. A coking process is integrated to produce liquid and gas coking unit products, and petroleum green coke.