Visbreaking a heavy hydrocarbon feedstock in a regenerable molten medium in the presence of hydrogen
First Claim
1. A process for converting a heavy hydrocarbon feedstock at least a portion of which boils above about 650°
- F. at atmospheric pressure to lighter hydrocarbon materials which comprises contacting said feedstock in the presence of hydrogen with a regenerable alkali metal carbonate molten medium containing from 0.1 to 25 weight percent, calculated as oxide and based on total molten medium, of a glass-forming oxide selected from the group consisting of oxides of boron, phosphorus, vanadium, silicon, tungsten and molybdenum, and thereby suppressing the formation of carbonaceous materials, at a temperature in the range of from about the melting point of said medium to less than about 1000°
F. and at elevated pressures for a time sufficient to form lighter hydrocarbon materials and carbonaceous materials, said carbonaceous materials being suspended uniformly throughout the molten medium.
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Abstract
Heavy hydrocarbon feedstocks, such as atmospheric and vacuum residua, heavy crude oils and the like, are converted to predominantly liquid hydrocarbon products by contacting said feedstocks in the presence of hydrogen with a regenerable alkali metal carbonate molten medium containing a glass-forming oxide, such as boron oxide, at a temperature in the range of from above about the melting point of said molten medium to about 1000°F. and at elevated pressures. Preferably, the regenerable molten medium comprises an oxide of boron in combination with a mixture of sodium and lithium carbonate or a mixture of sodium carbonate, potassium carbonate and lithium carbonate. The carbonaceous materials (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, steam, or carbon dioxide at temperatures of from above about the melting point of said medium to about 2000°F. in order to gasify said carbonaceous materials and thereby regenerate the molten medium. The conversion of a heavy hydrocarbon feedstock by the above-described process reduces the viscosity of the feedstock and thereby produces increased proportions of predominantly liquid hydrocarbon products of the motor fuel range, fuel oils and lubricant basestocks.
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Citations
26 Claims
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1. A process for converting a heavy hydrocarbon feedstock at least a portion of which boils above about 650°
- F. at atmospheric pressure to lighter hydrocarbon materials which comprises contacting said feedstock in the presence of hydrogen with a regenerable alkali metal carbonate molten medium containing from 0.1 to 25 weight percent, calculated as oxide and based on total molten medium, of a glass-forming oxide selected from the group consisting of oxides of boron, phosphorus, vanadium, silicon, tungsten and molybdenum, and thereby suppressing the formation of carbonaceous materials, at a temperature in the range of from about the melting point of said medium to less than about 1000°
F. and at elevated pressures for a time sufficient to form lighter hydrocarbon materials and carbonaceous materials, said carbonaceous materials being suspended uniformly throughout the molten medium. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
- F. at atmospheric pressure to lighter hydrocarbon materials which comprises contacting said feedstock in the presence of hydrogen with a regenerable alkali metal carbonate molten medium containing from 0.1 to 25 weight percent, calculated as oxide and based on total molten medium, of a glass-forming oxide selected from the group consisting of oxides of boron, phosphorus, vanadium, silicon, tungsten and molybdenum, and thereby suppressing the formation of carbonaceous materials, at a temperature in the range of from about the melting point of said medium to less than about 1000°
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9. A process for cracking a heavy hydrocarbon feedstock comprising a component selected from the group consisting of crude oils and residua containing from about 2 to 6 wt. % sulfur to lighter hydrocarbon materials which comprises contacting said heavy hydrocarbon feedstock in the presence of hydrogen in an amount of at least 500 SCF/B based on hydrocarbon feedstock with a regenerable alkali metal carbonate molten medium containing from 0.1 to 25 wt. %, calculated as oxide and based on total molten medium, of a glass-forming oxide selected from the group consisting of oxide of boron, phosphorus, vanadium, silicon, tungsten, and molybdenum, and thereby suppressing the formation of carbonaceous materials, at a temperature in the range of from about the melting point of the molten medium to less than about 1000°
- F. and a total pressure of from about 1000 to about 3000 psig to form predominantly liquid hydrocarbon products and carbonaceous materials, said carbonaceous materials being suspended uniformly in the molten medium, and thereafter gasifying at least a portion of 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 molten medium to about 2000°
F. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
- F. and a total pressure of from about 1000 to about 3000 psig to form predominantly liquid hydrocarbon products and carbonaceous materials, said carbonaceous materials being suspended uniformly in the molten medium, and thereafter gasifying at least a portion of 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 molten medium to about 2000°
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21. A process for cracking a heavy hydrocarbon feedstock comprising a component selected from the group consisting of crude oils and residua that contains 2 to 6 wt. % sulfur and at least a portion of which boils above about 650°
- F. at atmospheric pressure to lighter hydrocarbon materials which comprises contacting said feedstock in the presence of hydrogen in an amount of at least 1000 SCF/B based on hydrocarbon feedstock with a regenerable alkali metal carbonate molten medium comprising a mixture of lithium and sodium carbonates containing from 1 to 20 wt. %, calculated as oxide and based upon the total molten medium, of an oxide of boron, and thereby suppressing the formation of carbonaceous materials, at a temperature in the range of from about the melting point of the molten medium to less than about 900°
F. and a total pressure of from about 1500 to about 2500 psig, to form predominantly liquid hydrocarbon products and carbonaceous materials, at least a portion of said carbonaceous materials formed in said conversion being dispersed uniformly in said molten medium in amounts varying from about 1.0 to 5.0 wt. %, based on total molten medium, and thereafter gasifying at least a portion of said carbonaceous materials in said molten medium by contacting the same with an oxygen-containing gas at a temperature in the range of from above about the melting point of said molten medium to about 2000°
F. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
- F. at atmospheric pressure to lighter hydrocarbon materials which comprises contacting said feedstock in the presence of hydrogen in an amount of at least 1000 SCF/B based on hydrocarbon feedstock with a regenerable alkali metal carbonate molten medium comprising a mixture of lithium and sodium carbonates containing from 1 to 20 wt. %, calculated as oxide and based upon the total molten medium, of an oxide of boron, and thereby suppressing the formation of carbonaceous materials, at a temperature in the range of from about the melting point of the molten medium to less than about 900°
Specification