Vacuum Resid Liquid-Liquid Extraction for Catalyst Protection
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Vacuum residues from crude oil distillation are of low quality due to high boiling point hydrocarbons and impurities like metals and asphaltenes, making them incompatible with catalytic upgrading processes, thus limiting the access to valuable paraffinic and olefinic hydrocarbons.
Innovation Solution
Contacting the residue with a polar solvent to extract aromatic hydrocarbons, generating an extract phase and a raffinate phase with a majority of paraffinic and olefinic hydrocarbons, which can then be upgraded through cracking or dewaxing, making the raffinate phase compatible with catalytic processes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If vacuum residue is used directly as feed for catalytic cracking, then the process can be simplified, but the catalyst is easily deactivated by metals, sulfur, nitrogen, and aromatic hydrocarbons
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies extraction by dissolving vacuum residue in a solvent (such as furfural, phenol, or n-methyl-2-pyrrolidone) to separate aromatic hydrocarbons, metals, sulfur, and nitrogen from paraffinic and olefinic hydrocarbons. The raffinate phase containing desirable hydrocarbons is then used as feed for catalytic cracking, while the extract phase containing contaminants is removed, preventing catalyst deactivation.
2Reliability
If vacuum residue is processed to remove impurities, then catalyst stability is improved, but the process complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a solvent as an intermediary substance to facilitate the separation of contaminants from valuable hydrocarbons. The solvent selectively dissolves aromatic hydrocarbons, metals, sulfur, and nitrogen, allowing these impurities to be removed in the extract phase while the raffinate phase containing paraffinic and olefinic hydrocarbons proceeds to catalytic cracking.
3Adaptability or versatility
If aromatic hydrocarbons are removed from vacuum residue, then compatibility with catalytic processes is improved, but the quantity of valuable hydrocarbons accessible decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the physical and chemical parameters of the vacuum residue by dissolving it in a solvent under controlled conditions (temperature, pressure, solvent-to-residue ratio). This parameter change enables selective partitioning of components between extract and raffinate phases, allowing aromatic hydrocarbons to be removed while preserving paraffinic and olefinic hydrocarbons in the raffinate phase for further processing.
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
The process effectively separates and upgrades the raffinate phase, reducing aromatic and metal content, enabling catalytic cracking and dewaxing, thereby increasing the value of vacuum residues by accessing valuable hydrocarbons.
Implementation Method 1
contacting a residue comprising paraffinic, olefinic, and aromatic hydrocarbons with a polar solvent under conditions effective to extract at least a portion of the aromatic hydrocarbons from the residue into the polar solvent
Data Source
AI summary
Methods comprising contacting a residue comprising paraffinic, olefinic, and aromatic hydrocarbons with a polar solvent under conditions effective to extract at least a portion of the aromatic hydrocarbons from the residue into the polar solvent, thereby generating: an extract phase comprising the portion of aromatic hydrocarbons and the polar solvent; and, a raffinate phase comprising a majority of the paraffinic and olefinic hydrocarbons.