Asphalt blowing

Claim 1

THE METHOD OF OXIDIZING A HYDROCARBON RESIDUE TO PRODUCE A BLOW ASPHALT OF A PREDETERMINED DEGREE OF OXIDATION IN A CLOSED VERTICAL VESSEL HAVING AN EXTERNAL ATTENUATED CIRCULATION CONDUIT INCLUDING A SUBSTANTIALLY VERTICAL PORTION, WHICH COMPRISES, INTRODUCING A HYDROCARBON RESIDUE INTO THE EXTERNAL CONDUIT AT A POINT NEAR THE BOTTOM OF THE VERTICAL VESSEL IN A DIRECTION OF FLOW AWAY FROM THE BOTTOM OF THE VESSEL, INTRODUCING STEAM AND OXIDIZING GAS INTO THE LOWER PART OF THE VERTICAL VESSEL TO OXIDIZE THE MAJOR PORTION OF THE HYDROCARBON RESIDUE THEREIN AND DRIVE OFF VOLATILE COMPONENTS THEREFROM, INTRODUCING AN OXIDIZING GAS INTO THE HYDROCARBON RESIDUE IN THE LOWER PART OF SAID VERTICAL PORTION OF THE EXTERNAL CONDUIT DOWNSTREAM OF THE POINT OF INTRODUCTION OF THE HYDROCARBON RESIDUE AND IN A DIRECTION OF FLOW AWAY FROM THE BOTTOM OF THE VESSEL SO AS TO SIMULTANEOUSLY CREATE A DENSITY DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE HYDROCARBON RESIDUE IN THE VERTICAL VESSEL AND IN THE EXTERNAL CONDUIT BY REDUCING THE DENSITY OF THE RESIDUE IN THE VERTICL PORTION OF THE EXTERNAL CONDUIT, OXIDIZING THE HYDROCARBON RESIDUE IN THE EXTERNAL CONDUIT AT ITS REDUCED DENSITY, ESTABLISHING CIRCULATION OF THE RESIDUE IN THE VESSEL AND IN THE CONDUIT BY THE DENSITY DIFFERENCE CREATED, SPRAY DISCHARGING THE OXIDIZED HYDROCARBON RESIDUE FROM THE EXTERNAL CONDUIT INTO THE VERTICAL VESSEL ABOVE THE LIQUID LEVEL THEREIN TO FACILITATE REMOVAL OF LIGHT COMPONENTS FROM THE DISCHARGE, WITHDRAWING SAID LIGHT COMPONENTS FROM THE TOP OF SAID VESSEL AND SEPARATELY WITHDRAWING BLOWN ASPHALT PRODUCT.

Claim 2

THE METHOD OF OXIDIZING A HYDROCARBON RESIDUE TO PRODUCE A BLOW ASPHALT OF A PREDETERMINED DEGREE OF OXIDATION IN A CLOSED VERTICAL VESSEL HAVING AN EXTERNAL ATTENUATED CIRCULATION CONDUIT INCLUDING A SUBSTANTIALLY VERTICAL PORTION, WHICH COMPRISES, INTRODUCING A HYDROCARBON RESIDUE INTO THE EXTERNAL CONDUIT AT A POINT NEAR THE BOTTOM OF THE VERTICAL VESSEL IN A DIRECTION OF FLOW AWAY FROM THE BOTTOM OF THE VESSEL, INTRODUCING STEAM AND OXIDIZING GAS INTO THE LOWER PART OF THE VERTICAL VESSEL TO OXIDIZE THE MAJOR PORTION OF THE HYDROCARBON RESIDUE THEREIN AND DRIVE OFF VOLATILE COMPONENTS THEREFROM, INTRODUCING AN OXIDIZING GAS INTO THE HYDROCARBON RESIDUE IN THE LOWER PART OF SAID VERTICAL PORTION OF THE EXTERNAL CONDUIT DOWNSTREAM OF THE POINT OF INTRODUCTION OF THE HYDROCARBON RESIDUE AND IN A DIRECTION OF FLOW AWAY FROM THE BOTTOM OF THE VESSEL SO AS TO SIMULTANEOUSLY CREATE A DENSITY DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE HYDROCARBON RESIDUE IN THE VERTICAL VESSEL AND IN THE EXTERNAL CONDUIT BY REDUCING THE DENSITY OF THE RESIDUE IN THE VERTICL PORTION OF THE EXTERNAL CONDUIT, OXIDIZING THE HYDROCARBON RESIDUE IN THE EXTERNAL CONDUIT AT ITS REDUCED DENSITY, ESTABLISHING CIRCULATION OF THE RESIDUE IN THE VESSEL AND IN THE CONDUIT BY THE DENSITY DIFFERENCE CREATED, SPRAY DISCHARGING THE OXIDIZED HYDROCARBON RESIDUE FROM THE EXTERNAL CONDUIT INTO THE VERTICAL VESSEL ABOVE THE LIQUID LEVEL THEREIN TO FACILITATE REMOVAL OF LIGHT COMPONENTS FROM THE DISCHARGE, WITHDRAWING SAID LIGHT COMPONENTS FROM THE TOP OF SAID VESSEL AND SEPARATELY WITHDRAWING BLOWN ASPHALT PRODUCT.