VISBREAKING A HEAVY HYDROCARBON FEEDSTOCK IN A REGENERABLE MOLTEN MEDIUM

• US 3,847,797 A
• Filed: 08/14/1972
• Issued: 11/12/1974
• Est. Priority Date: 10/05/1971
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Israel S. Pasternak, James R. Higgins, John J. Dugan
• Original Assignee: Israel S. Pasternak, James R. Higgins, John J. Dugan
• Inventors: Pasternak, Israel S., Dugan, John J., Higgins, James P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Gantz, Delbert E.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Berger, S.
• Application Number:
  US05/280,181
• Time in Patent Office: 820 Days
• Field of Search: 208/106,113,114,125 260/683R 48/202
• US Class Current: 208/114
• CPC Class Codes: C10G 9/40 by indirect contact with preheated fluid other than hot combustion gases

Abstract

Heavy hydrocarbon feed stocks such as atmospheric and vacuum residua, heavy crude oils and the like are converted to predominantly liquid hydrocarbon products by contacting said feed stocks with a stable regenerable molten medium containing a glass-forming oxide such as boron oxide at a temperature in the range of from about 600* to about 1,200* F. Preferably, the stable, regenerable molten medium comprises a glass-forming oxide in combination with an alkaline reagent. The carbonaceous materials such as coke which are formed in the molten medium during the above-described conversion process are gasified by contacting said carbonaceous materials with a gaseous stream containing oxygen such as air, steam, or carbon dioxide at temperatures of from above about the melting point of said medium to about 2,000* F. in order to gasify said carbonaceous materials and thereby regenerate the molten medium. The conversion of a heavy hydrocarbon feed stock by the above-described process reduces the viscosity of the feed stock and thereby produces increased proportions of predominantly liquid hydrocarbon products of the motor fuel range and fuel oils.

Claims

1. A PROCESS FOR CONVERTING A HEAVY HYDROCARBON FEDSTOCK TO LIGHTER HYDROCARBON MATERIALS WHICH COMPRISES CONTACTING SAID FEEDSTOCK WITH A REGENERABLE MOLTEN MEDIUM CONTAINING METAL OXIDES, HYDROXIDES AND MIXTURES THEREOF, AND ALKALIAN ALKALINE REAGENT SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF ALKALI METAL OXIDES, HYDROXIDES AND MIXTURES THEREOF IN COMBINATION WITH ALKALINE EARTH METAL OXIDES, HYDROXIDES AND MIXTURES THEREOF AND A GLASS-FORMING OXIDE WHEREIN THE MOLE RATIO OF THE ALKALINE REAGENT, EXPRESSED AS THE OXIDE THEREOF, TO THE GLASS-FORMING OXIDE IS ABOUT 1.5 TO ABOUT 3 AT A TEMPERATURE IN THE RANGE OF FROM ABOUT THE MELTING POINT OF SAID MEDIUM TO LESS THAN ABOUT 1,200*F. FOR A TIME SUFFICIENT TO FORM LIGHTER HYDROCARBON MATERIALS.

2. The process of claim 1 wherein the temperature of the molten medium is maintained in the range of from about 800* to less than about 1,200*F.

3. The process of claim 2 wherein said glass-forming oxide is selected from the group consisting of oxides of boron, phosphorus, vanadium, silicon, tungsten, and molybdenum.

4. The process of claim 2 wherein said glass-forming oxide is boron oxide.

5. The process of claim 1 wherein said molten medium is regenerated after contact with said hydrocarbon feedstock by contacting said molten medium with oxygen, steam, carbon dioxide and mixtures thereof at a temperature in the range of from above about the melting point of said medium to about 2,000*F.

6. A process for converting a heavy hydrocarbon feedstock to lighter hydrocarbon materials which comprises contacting said heavy hydrocarbon feedstock with a regenerable molten medium containing an alkaline reagent selected from the group consisting of alkali metal oxides, hydroxides and mixtures thereof and alkali metal oxides, hydroxides and mixtures thereof in combination with alkaline earth metal oxides, hydroxides and mixtures thereof and a glass-forming oxide selected from the group consisting of oxides of boron, phosphorus, vanadium, silicon, tungsten, and molybdenum, wherein the mole ratio of the alkaline reagent, expressed as the oxide thereof, to the glass-forming oxide is in the range of from about 1.5 to about 3, at a temperature in the range of from about 800* to less than about 1, 200*F. to form predominantly liquid hydrocarbon products and carbonaceous materials and thereafter gasifying said carbonaceous materials formed during said conversion process by contacting said molten medium containing said carbonaceous materials with oxygen, carbon dioxide, steam or mixtures thereof at a temperature in the range of from about the melting point of said medium to about 2,000*F.

7. The process of claim 6 wherein the temperature of the molten medium during contact with heavy hydrocarbon feedstock is maintained in the range of from about 800* to about 1,100*F.

8. The process of claim 7 wherein at least a portion of said heavy hydrocarbon feedstock boils above about 650*F. at atmospheric pressure.

9. The process of claim 8 wherein said glass-forming oxide is boron oxide.

10. The process of claim 9 wherein said alkaline reagent is an alkali metal hydroxide, an alkali metal oxide or mixture thereof.

11. The process of claim 10 wherein the mole ratio of said alkaline reagent, calculated on the basis of the oxide thereof, to boron oxide is in the range of from about 2.2 to about 2.7.

12. The process of claim 11 wherein said gasifying reagent is a gas stream containing from about 10 to about 25 wt. percent oxygen.

13. The process of claim 12 wherein said gas stream is air.

14. The process of claim 11 wherein said gasifying reagent is steam.

15. The process of claim 6 wherein said glass-forming oxide is a boron oxide.

16. The process of claim 6 wherein said glass-forming oxide is an oxide of phosphorus.

17. The process of claim 6 wherein said molten medium is regenerated at a temperature in the range of from about 1,000*F. to about 1,800*F.