Separation of asphalt-type bituminous materials

Claim 1

A METHOD OF SEPARATING AN ASPHALT-TYPE BITUMINOUS MATERIAL INCLUDING ASPHALTENES INTO AT LEAST TWO FRACTIONS, WHICH METHOD COMPRISES SEPARATING A HEAVY FRACTION CONTAINING ESSENTIALLY ASPHALTENES FROM A LIGHTER SOLVENT FRACTION CONTAINING DISSOLVED RESIDUAL ASPHALT-TYPE BITUMINOUS MATERIAL BY TREATING IN A SINGLE TREATING ZONE AT ELEVATED TEMPERATURE AND PRESSURE EACH VOLUME OF THE ASPHALTTYPE BITUMINOUS MATERIAL WITH AT LEAST TWO VOLUMES OF A SOLVENT WHICH CONSISTS ESSENTIALLY OF AT LEAST ONE HYDROCARBON SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF MONOOLEFIN HYDROCARBONS CONTAINING FROM 4 THROUGH 7 CARBON ATOMS INCLUSIVE AND PARAFFIN HYDROCARBONS CONTAINING FROM 5 THROUGH 8 CARBON ATOMS INCLUSIVE, THE TEMPERATURE OF TREATMENT BEING AT LEAST 125*F. WHEN THE SOLVENT CONSISTS ESSENTIALLY OF AT LEAST ONE OF THE MONO-OLEFIN HYDROCARBONS, AT LEAST 175*F. WHEN THE SOLVENT CONSISTS ESSENTIALLY OF AT LEAST ONE OF THE PARAFFIN HYDROCARBONS AND, WHEN THE SOLVENT IS A MIXTURE OF THE MONOOLEFIN AND PARAFIN HYDROCARBONS, THE MINIMUM TEMPERATURE OF TREATMENT BEING INTERMEDIATE 125*F. AND 175*F. AND VARYING DIRECTLY WITHIN THE RANGE WITH THE PARAFFIN HYDROCARBON CONTENT OF THE SOLVENT, THE TEMPERATURE OF TREATMENT BEING SUFFICIENTLY ELEVATED TO FORM A LIQUID TO LIQUID BULK INTERFACE BETWEEN THE RESULTING HEAVY ASPHALTENE FRACTION AND THE LIGHTER SOLVENT FRACTION CONTAINING DISSOLVED RESIDUAL ASPHALT-TYPE BITUMINOUS MATERIAL AND NOT GREATR THAN ABOUT 50*F. BELOW THE CRITICAL TEMPERATURE OF THE SOLVENT, THE PRESSURE BEING AT LEAST EQUAL TO THE VAPOR PRESSURE OF THE SOLVENT AT THE HIGHEST TEMPERATURE PRESENT IN THE TREATING ZONE, THE SEPARATED HEAVY ASPHALTENE FRACTION BEING IN THE LIQUID PHASE AND HAVING A VISCOSITY WHEREBY IT IS FREELY FLOWABLE FROM THE TREATING ZONE, AND WITHDRAWING THE LIQUID PHASE ASPHALTENE FRACTION FROM THE TREATING ZONE, THE ASPHALTENE FRACTION HAVING A SOFTENING POINT OF AT LEAST ABOUT 300*F.

Claim 2

A METHOD OF SEPARATING AN ASPHALT-TYPE BITUMINOUS MATERIAL INCLUDING ASPHALTENES INTO AT LEAST TWO FRACTIONS, WHICH METHOD COMPRISES SEPARATING A HEAVY FRACTION CONTAINING ESSENTIALLY ASPHALTENES FROM A LIGHTER SOLVENT FRACTION CONTAINING DISSOLVED RESIDUAL ASPHALT-TYPE BITUMINOUS MATERIAL BY TREATING IN A SINGLE TREATING ZONE AT ELEVATED TEMPERATURE AND PRESSURE EACH VOLUME OF THE ASPHALTTYPE BITUMINOUS MATERIAL WITH AT LEAST TWO VOLUMES OF A SOLVENT WHICH CONSISTS ESSENTIALLY OF AT LEAST ONE HYDROCARBON SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF MONOOLEFIN HYDROCARBONS CONTAINING FROM 4 THROUGH 7 CARBON ATOMS INCLUSIVE AND PARAFFIN HYDROCARBONS CONTAINING FROM 5 THROUGH 8 CARBON ATOMS INCLUSIVE, THE TEMPERATURE OF TREATMENT BEING AT LEAST 125*F. WHEN THE SOLVENT CONSISTS ESSENTIALLY OF AT LEAST ONE OF THE MONO-OLEFIN HYDROCARBONS, AT LEAST 175*F. WHEN THE SOLVENT CONSISTS ESSENTIALLY OF AT LEAST ONE OF THE PARAFFIN HYDROCARBONS AND, WHEN THE SOLVENT IS A MIXTURE OF THE MONOOLEFIN AND PARAFIN HYDROCARBONS, THE MINIMUM TEMPERATURE OF TREATMENT BEING INTERMEDIATE 125*F. AND 175*F. AND VARYING DIRECTLY WITHIN THE RANGE WITH THE PARAFFIN HYDROCARBON CONTENT OF THE SOLVENT, THE TEMPERATURE OF TREATMENT BEING SUFFICIENTLY ELEVATED TO FORM A LIQUID TO LIQUID BULK INTERFACE BETWEEN THE RESULTING HEAVY ASPHALTENE FRACTION AND THE LIGHTER SOLVENT FRACTION CONTAINING DISSOLVED RESIDUAL ASPHALT-TYPE BITUMINOUS MATERIAL AND NOT GREATR THAN ABOUT 50*F. BELOW THE CRITICAL TEMPERATURE OF THE SOLVENT, THE PRESSURE BEING AT LEAST EQUAL TO THE VAPOR PRESSURE OF THE SOLVENT AT THE HIGHEST TEMPERATURE PRESENT IN THE TREATING ZONE, THE SEPARATED HEAVY ASPHALTENE FRACTION BEING IN THE LIQUID PHASE AND HAVING A VISCOSITY WHEREBY IT IS FREELY FLOWABLE FROM THE TREATING ZONE, AND WITHDRAWING THE LIQUID PHASE ASPHALTENE FRACTION FROM THE TREATING ZONE, THE ASPHALTENE FRACTION HAVING A SOFTENING POINT OF AT LEAST ABOUT 300*F.