Process for recovering ultrafine solids from a hydrocarbon liquid
First Claim
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1. A process for separating a particulate solid material from a hydrocarbon liquid comprising the following steps:
- a) providing a bleed slurry comprising the hydrocarbon liquid and the solid material,b) adding a heavy hydrocarbon liquid to the bleed slurry in an amount sufficient to increase the asphaltene content of the bleed slurry to at least 2.5 weight percent and mixing the bleed slurry in a flocculant and to form a first mixture comprising the hydrocarbon liquid, a first solvent and a flocculent containing the solid material,c) separating the first mixture to form a second mixture and a third mixture, wherein the second mixture contains a low concentration of the flocculent and the third mixture contains a high concentration of the flocculent,d) separating the second mixture to form a fourth mixture comprising the first solvent and the hydrocarbon liquid and a fifth mixture containing a high concentration of the flocculent,e) combining the third mixture and the fifth mixture in a feed tank to form a final mixture comprising a high concentration of the flocculent, a low concentration of the first solvent and a low concentration of the hydrocarbon liquid,f) drying the final mixture to form a hydrocarbon vapor mixture and a coked material wherein the hydrocarbon vapor comprises the solvent, a light fraction of the hydrocarbon liquid and entrained amounts of the solid material and wherein the coked material comprises the solid material and a heavy fraction of the hydrocarbon liquid,g) recovering the coked material from the drying device, wherein the solid material is free of liquid hydrocarbons and comprises a catalyst and wherein the catalyst comprises a major amount of a spent catalyst and a minor amount of an active catalyst,h) thermally shocking the coked solid material to disagglomerate and form an aqueous slurry of the coked solid material and grinding the slurry of the coked material to reduce the particle size of the coked solid material to between about 10 to 60 μ
m.
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Abstract
A method for separating and recovering ultrafine particulate solid material from a suspension or slurry of the solid material and a hydrocarbon liquid by precipitation or flocculation of a heavy fraction of the hydrocarbon liquid with an effective amount of a precipitation or flocculation agent such that the precipitated heavy fraction encapsulates the particulate solid material. The method further comprises coking the precipitated heavy fraction and grinding the coked product to an ultrafine size.
78 Citations
17 Claims
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1. A process for separating a particulate solid material from a hydrocarbon liquid comprising the following steps:
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a) providing a bleed slurry comprising the hydrocarbon liquid and the solid material, b) adding a heavy hydrocarbon liquid to the bleed slurry in an amount sufficient to increase the asphaltene content of the bleed slurry to at least 2.5 weight percent and mixing the bleed slurry in a flocculant and to form a first mixture comprising the hydrocarbon liquid, a first solvent and a flocculent containing the solid material, c) separating the first mixture to form a second mixture and a third mixture, wherein the second mixture contains a low concentration of the flocculent and the third mixture contains a high concentration of the flocculent, d) separating the second mixture to form a fourth mixture comprising the first solvent and the hydrocarbon liquid and a fifth mixture containing a high concentration of the flocculent, e) combining the third mixture and the fifth mixture in a feed tank to form a final mixture comprising a high concentration of the flocculent, a low concentration of the first solvent and a low concentration of the hydrocarbon liquid, f) drying the final mixture to form a hydrocarbon vapor mixture and a coked material wherein the hydrocarbon vapor comprises the solvent, a light fraction of the hydrocarbon liquid and entrained amounts of the solid material and wherein the coked material comprises the solid material and a heavy fraction of the hydrocarbon liquid, g) recovering the coked material from the drying device, wherein the solid material is free of liquid hydrocarbons and comprises a catalyst and wherein the catalyst comprises a major amount of a spent catalyst and a minor amount of an active catalyst, h) thermally shocking the coked solid material to disagglomerate and form an aqueous slurry of the coked solid material and grinding the slurry of the coked material to reduce the particle size of the coked solid material to between about 10 to 60 μ
m. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A process for separating a particulate solid material from a hydrocarbon liquid comprising the following steps:
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a) providing a bleed slurry feed comprising the hydrocarbon liquid and the solid material comprising a catalyst, wherein the mass concentration of the bleed slurry feed comprises from 15 to 40% of the solid material comprising a catalyst and wherein the bleed slurry feed is provided at a temperature between 55°
C. and 75°
C.,b) mixing the bleed slurry feed in a flocculant for at least 15 minutes to form a first mixture comprising the hydrocarbon liquid, a first solvent and a flocculent containing the solid material, c) separating the first mixture to recover a second mixture and a final mixture, wherein the second mixture contains a low concentration of the flocculent and the final mixture contains a high concentration of the flocculent with up to 90% of the solid material in the bleed slurry feed, d) drying the final mixture to form a hydrocarbon vapor mixture and a coked material wherein the hydrocarbon vapor comprises the solvent, a light fraction of the hydrocarbon liquid and entrained amounts of the solid material and wherein the coked material comprises the solid material and a heavy fraction of the hydrocarbon liquid.
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Specification