Integrated process for the preparation of synthetic bitumens

Claim 1

A PROCESS FOR THE PREPARATION OF SYNTHETIC BITUMENS FROM STRAIGHT-RUN ASPHALTIC RESIDUE COMPRISING THE STEPS: (A) DIVIDING THE STRAIGHT-RUN ASPHALITIC RESIDUE INTO TWO STREAMS; (B) SUBJECTING ONE OF THE TWO STREAMS TO A THERMAL CRACKING TREATMENT AT A TEMPERATURE OF 450-500*C. AND WITH A RESIDENCE TIME SUFFICIENTLY SHORT TO AVOID THE FORMATION OF SUBSTANTIAL QUANTITIES OF BENZENEINSOLUBLE PRODUCTS: (C) FRACTIONATING THE THERMALLY CRACKED STREAM TO RECOVER AN ASPHALTENE-CONTAINING CRACKED RESIDUAL OIL; (D) TREATING THE ASPHALTENES-CONTAINING THERMALLY CRACKED RESIDUAL OIL WITH AN ASPHALTENES PRECIPITANT TO RECOVER (1) A DESPHALTENIZED CRACKED RESIDUAL OIL FRACTION AND (2) A CONCENTRATED CRACKED ASPHALTENES FRACTION; (E) TREATING THE UNCRACKED SECOND STREAM OF STRAIGHTRUN ASPHALTIC RESIDUE WITH AN ASPHALTENES PRECIPITANT TO RECOVER (3) A DEASPHALTENIZED STRAIGHT-RUN RESIDUAL OIL FRACTION AND (4) A CONCENTRATED STRAIGHT-RUN ASPHALTENES FRACTION; (F) BLENDING THE DEASPHALTENIZED CRACKED RESIDUAL OIL FRACTION (1) WITH THE CONCENTRATED STRAIGHT-RUN ASPHALTENES FRACTION (4) TO FORM A SYNTHETIC BITUMEN OF REDUCED PENETRATION INDEX; AND (G) BLENDING THE DEASPHALTENIZED STRAIGHT-RUN RESIDUAL OIL FRACTION (3) WITH THE CONCENTRATED CRACKED ASPHALTENES FRACTION (2) TO FORM A SYNTHETIC BITUMEN OF RAISED PENETRATION INDEX.