Heavy oil upgrading process
US6524469B1 · kind B1 · utility
87Cited by
12References
25Claims
0Family size
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | May 16, 2000 |
| Grant date | Feb 25, 2003 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | May 16, 2020 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC C)Chemistry; Metallurgy
- CPC primaryC10G67/0454
- WIPO fieldBasic materials chemistry
- WIPO sectorChemistry
Abstract
An improved heavy oil conversion process is disclosed in which the heavy oil feed is first thermally cracked using visbreaking or hydrovisbreaking technology to produce a product that is lower in molecular weight and boiling point than the feed. The product is then deasphalted using an alkane solvent at a solvent to feed ratio of less than 2 wherein separation of solvent and deasphalted oil from the asphaltenes is achieved through the use of a two-stage membrane separation system in which the second stage is a centrifugal membrane.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.