Combination coking and hydroconversion process

• US 4,954,240 A
• Filed: 12/19/1988
• Issued: 09/04/1990
• Est. Priority Date: 09/16/1987
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Exxon Research and Engineering Company (Exxon Mobil Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Exxon Research and Engineering Company (Exxon Mobil Corporation)
• Inventors: Eidt, Clarence M. Jr., Bearden, Roby Jr., Aldridge, Clyde L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Caldarola, Glenn
• Application Number:
  US07/286,100
• Time in Patent Office: 624 Days
• Field of Search: 208/50, 208/53, 208/54, 208/55
• US Class Current: 208/50
• CPC Class Codes: C10B 55/00 Coking mineral oils, bitumen, tar, and the like or mixtures thereof with solid carbonaceous material cracking oils C10G
• CPC Class Codes: C10G 2300/107 Atmospheric residues having a boiling point of at least about 538 °C
• CPC Class Codes: C10G 31/11 by dialysis
• CPC Class Codes: C10G 9/00 Thermal non-catalytic cracking, in the absence of hydrogen, of hydrocarbon oils
• CPC Class Codes: C10G 9/005 Coking (in order to produce liquid products mainly)

Abstract

A hydrocarbonaceous feed, such as petroleum vacuum distillation bottoms, is upgraded by a combination coking and catalytic slurry hydroconversion process wherein a bottoms fraction from coking is passed to a slurry hydroconversion zone, and the bottoms fraction from the slurry hydroconversion zone is also passed thorugh a microfiltration system to remove catalyst particles.

Claims

1. An integrated coking and hydroconversion process which comprises the steps of:

(a) treating a hydrocarbonaceous feed having a Conradson carbon content of at least 5 weight percent in a coking zone at coking conditions, including a pressure ranging from zero to about 100 psig, to produce coke and a vapor phase product, including hydrocarbonaceous comprising constituents boiling above 975°

F.;

(b) separating a heavy bottoms fraction having a Conradson carbon content of at least about 5 weight percent, including said constituents boiling above 975°

F., from said hydrocarbonaceous material;

(c) adding a hydroconversion catalyst or hydroconversion catalyst precursor to at least a portion of said heavy bottoms fraction to form a mixture;

(d) subjecting at least a portion of said mixture of step (c) to hydroconversion conditions, in the presence of hydrogen, in a slurry hydroconversion zone to produce a lower boiling hydroconverted product containing entrained catalyst particles;

(e) passing at least a portion of the lower boiling hydrocarbonaceous product through a microfiltration system containing a sintered porous ceramic or metal membrane filtering means having a substantially uniform pore size and capable of retaining at least about 95 percent of the entrained particles while maintaining an effective flux, thereby resulting in a solids-free fraction and a hydrocarbonaceous filtrate;

(f) subjecting at least a portion of the hydrocarbonaceous filtrate to a liquid-liquid separation, resulting in a light and intermediate boiling fraction and a heavy fraction; and

(g) recycling at least a portion of the heavy fraction to the coking zone.

2. The process of claim 1 wherein the hydrocarbonaceous oil is a vacuum distillation residuum.

3. The process of claim 2 wherein the sintered porous membrane is comprised of a metal selected from iron and nickel-based alloys.

4. The process of claim 3 wherein the iron-based alloys are stainless steels.

5. The process of claim 1 wherein the coking zone is maintained at a temperature of about 850°

F. to about 1400°

F. and a pressure from about zero to about 150 psig.

6. The process of claim 5 wherein the coking zone is maintained at a temperature from about 900°

F. to about 1200°

F. and a pressure from about 5 to about 45 psig.

7. The process of claim 3 wherein the flux through the filtration system is at least about 0.1 gpm/ft².

8. The process of claim 1 wherein the hydroconversion conditions include pressures ranging from about 100 to about 5,000 psig and a temperature ranging from about 650 °

F. to about 1000°

F.

9. The process of claim 8 wherein the hydroconversion conditions include a pressure ranging from about 300 to about 2000 psig and a temperature ranging from about oF to about 900°

F.

10. The process of claim 1 wherein the hydrocarbonaceous feed of said coking zone has a Conradson carbon content of at least 7 weight percent.

11. The process of claim 9 wherein the hydrocarbonaceous feed of said coking zone has a Conradson carbon content of at least about 7 weight percent.

12. The process of claim 1 wherein the hydroconversion catalyst precursor is an oil-soluble metal compound or a thermally decomposable metal compound.

13. The process of claim 1 wherein the heavy bottoms fraction of step (b) comprises at least about 10 weight percent materials boiling above 975°

F.

14. The process of claim 1 wherein at least 10 weight percent of the 975+°

F. materials of said portion of heavy bottoms fraction are converted to lower boiling products.

15. The process of claim 1 wherein a portion of the hydrocarbonaceous feed is passed directly to the slurry hydroconversion zone.

16. The process of claim 3 wherein:

(i) the coking zone is maintained at a temperature of about 850°

F. to about 1400°

F. and a pressure of about zero to 150 psig;

(ii) the hydroconversion conditions include pressures of about 100 to about 5000 psig and a temperature of about 650°

F. to about 1000°

F.; and

(iii) the heavy bottoms fraction of step (b) comprises at least 10 weight percent of materials boiling above 975°

F.

17. The process of claim 16 wherein a portion of the hydrocarbonaceous feed is passed directly to the slurry hydroconversion zone.