Process for the separation of mixtures of various hydrocarbon compounds

Claim 2

A process for the separation of petroleum distillation residues containing lower boiling fraction and higher boiling fraction, which comprises the steps: (a) contacting said residue in liquid state with a process gas under super-critical conditions of temperature and pressure of the gas such that the gas will take up at least a portion of said mixture in a quantity varying inversely with said temperature, and effecting said contacting in a manner so that this occurs, said gas having a critical temperature of 90°-250° C. and being inert to the distillation residue, so that a portion of the lower boiling fraction is taken up by the process gas, whereby there is formed a gas phase containing process gas and lower boiling fraction taken up by the process gas, and a liquid hase containing higher boiling fraction of said distillation residue, said contacting being at a temperature up to 100° C. above the critical temperature, (b) separating the gas phase from the liquid phase, while still maintaining super-critical conditions as aforesaid, thereafter (c) condensing at least part of the lower boiling fraction from the gas phase by reducing the pressure, (d) separating condensed lower boiling fraction from the two phase mixture resulting from the condensation, (e) after separating the lower boiling fraction, cooling the process gas resulting from the separation to liquefy the process gas, (f) pressurizing the liquefied process gas to the super-critical pressure employed in step (a), (g) heating the pressurized liquefied process gas to the super-critical temperature employed in step (a) to convert it to process gas at the super-critical temperature and pressure used in step (a), in said heating supplying only energy to raise the temperature, (h) employing the process gas produced in step (g) in the contacting of step (a).

Claim 3

A process as claimed in claim 1 in which the process gas is of the group C 3 to C 6 hydrocarbons.

Claim 4

A process as claimed in claim 1 in which the process gas is of the group C 3 and C 4 hydrocarbons.

Claim 5

Process according to claim 1, wherein propane is the process gas.

Claim 6

Process according to claim 1 for the separation of petroleum in which low boiling fraction is condensed from the gas phase by reducing the pressure to a value sufficiently high to enable the process gas to be liquefied by cooling to room temperature and effecting said liquefying of the process gas by cooling to a temperature not below room temperature.

Claim 7

Process according to claim 1, wherein said heating in step (g) comprises heat exchange with the gas phase resulting from said contacting and heat exchange with the condensate free process gas.

Claim 8

Process according to claim 5, wherein said heating in step (g) comprises heat exchange with the gas phase resulting from said contacting and heat exchange with the condensate free process gas.

Claim 9

A process as claimed in claim 5 in which the following operating conditions are used: contacting, 100° to 150° C., pressures of at least 100 atmospheres; separating, release of pressure to 30 to 40 atmospheres; liquefaction by cooling to 20° to 30° C.

Claim 10

A process according to claim 8, wherein the contacting operating pressure is 100-200 atmospheres.

Claim 11

Process according to claim 1, wherein said petroleum distillation residue contains an appreciable amount of vanadium compounds, said lower boiling fraction taken up in the gas phase containing not more than a trace of vanadium.

Claim 12

Process according to claim 1, wherein, in the separation of the low boiling fraction, the pressure is reduced to below the critical pressure.

Claim 13

Process according to claim 5, wherein, in the separation of the low boiling fraction, the pressure is reduced to below the critical pressure.

Claim 14

Process according to claim 1, wherein the process gas is propane, the contacting temperature is 100° to 150° C., contacting pressure is 100 to 150 atmospheres, separating by releasing of pressure to 30 to 40 atoms.

Claim 15

Process according to claim 13, wherein liquefaction is by cooling to 20° to 30° C.

Claim 16

Process according to claim 1, in which the process gas is of the group C 3 and C 4 hydrocarbons, the contacting is at a temperature up to 100° C. above the critical temperature, and low boiling fraction is condensed from the gas phase by reducing the pressure to a value sufficiently high to enable the process gas to be liquefied by cooling to room temperature and effecting said liquefying of the process gas by cooling to a temperature not below room temperature.

Claim 17

A process for the separation of petroleum distillation residues containing lower boiling fraction and higher boiling fraction, which comprises the steps: (a) contacting said residue in liquid state with a process gas under super-critical conditions of temperature and pressure of the gas such that the gas will take up at least a portion of said mixture in a quantity varying inversely with said temperature, and effecting said contacting in a manner so that this occurs, said gas having a critical temperature of 90°-250° C. and being inert to the distillation residue, so that a portion of the lower boiling fraction is taken up by the process gas, whereby there is formed a gas phase containing process gas and lower boiling fraction taken up by the process gas, and a liquid phase containing higher boiling fraction of said distillation residue, said contacting being at a temperature up to 100° C. above the critical temperature, (b) separating the gas phase from the liquid phase, while still maintaining super-critical conditions as aforesaid, thereafter (c) condensing at least part of the lower boiling fraction from the gas phase by reducing the pressure to a value sufficiently high to enable the process gas to be liquefied by cooling to room temperature, (d) separating condensed lower boiling fraction from the two phase mixture resulting from the condensation, (e) after separating the lower boiling fraction, cooling the process gas resulting from the separation to liquefy the process gas, (f) compressing the liquefied process gas to the super-critical pressure employed in step (a), (g) heating the compressed liquefied process gas to the super-critical temperature employed in step (a) to convert it to process gas at the super-critical temperature and pressure used in step (a), (h) employing the process gas produced in step (g) in the contacting of step (a).

Claim 18

A process for the separation of petroleum distillation residues containing lower boiling fraction and higher boiling fraction, which comprises the steps: (a) contacting said residue in liquid state with a process gas under super-critical conditions of temperature and pressure of the gas such that the gas will take up at least a portion of said mixture in a quantity varying inversely with said temperature, and effecting said contacting in a manner so that this occurs, said gas having a critical temperature of 90°-250° C. and being inert to the distillation residue, so that a portion of the lower boiling fraction is taken up by the process gas, whereby there is formed a gas phase containing process gas and lower boiling fraction taken up by the process gas, and a liquid phase containing higher boiling fraction of said distillation residue, said contacting being at a temperature up to 100° C. above the critical temperature, (b) separating the gas phase from the liquid phase, while still maintaining super-critical conditions as aforesaid, thereafter (c) condensing at least part of the lower boiling fraction from the gas phase by reducing the pressure to a value sufficiently high to enable the process gas to be liquefied by cooling to room temperature, (d) separating condensed lower boiling fraction from the two phase mixture resulting from the condensation, (e) after separating the lower boiling fraction, cooling the process gas resulting from the separation to liquefy the process gas, (f) compressing the liquefied process gas to the super-critical pressure employed in step (a), (g) heating the compressed liquefied process gas to the super-critical temperature employed in step (a) to convert it to process gas at the super-critical temperature and pressure used in step (a), (h) employing the process gas produced in step (g) in the contacting of step (a).

Claim 19

A process according to claim 1, and hydrocracking the separated lower boiling fraction of step (d).

Claim 20

A process for the separation of petroleum distillation residues containing lower boiling fraction and higher boiling fraction, which comprises the steps: (a) contacting said residue in liquid state with a process gas under super-critical conditions of temperature and pressure of the gas such that the gas will take up at least a portion of said mixture in a quantity varying inversely with said temperature, said gas having a critical temperature of 90°-250° C. and being inert to the distillation residue, so that a portion of the lower boiling fraction is taken up by the process gas, whereby there is formed a gas phase containing process gas and lower boiling fraction taken up by the process gas, and a liquid phase containing higher boiling fraction of said distillation residue, said contacting being at a temperature up to 100° C. above the critical temperature, (b) separating the gas phase from the liquid phase, while still maintaining super-critical conditions as aforesaid, and (c) following step (b), separating at least part of the lower boiling fraction from the process gas.

Claim 21

A process for the separation of petroleum distillation residues containing lower boiling fraction and higher boiling fraction, which comprises the steps: (a) contacting said residue in liquid state with a process gas under super-critical conditions of temperature and pressure of the gas such that the gas will take up at least a portion of said mixture in a quantity varying inversely with said temperature, said gas having a critical temperature of 90°-250° C. and being inert to the distillation residue, so that a portion of the lower boiling fraction is taken up by the process gas, whereby there is formed a gas phase containing process gas and lower boiling fraction taken up by the process gas, and a liquid phase containing higher boiling fraction of said distillation residue, said contacting being at a temperature up to 100° C. above the critical temperature, (b) separating the gas phase from the liquid phase, while still maintaining super-critical conditions as aforesaid, and (c) following step (b), separating at least part of the lower boiling fraction from the process gas.

Claim 22

A process for the separation of petroleum residues containing lower boiling fraction and higher boiling fraction, which comprises the steps: (a) contacting said residue in liquid state with a process gas under super-critical conditions of temperature and pressure of the gas such that the gas will take up at least a portion of said mixture in a quantity varying inversely with said temperature, and effecting said contacting in a manner so that this occurs, said gas having a critical temperature of 90°-250° C. and being inert to the distillation residue, so that a portion of the lower boiling fraction is taken up by the process gas, whereby there is formed a gas phase containing process gas and lower boiling fraction taken up by the process gas, and a liquid phase containing higher boiling fraction of said distillation residue, said contacting being at a temperature up to 100° C. above the critical temperature. (b) separating the gas phase from the liquid phase, while still maintaining super-critical conditions as aforesaid, and (c) following step (b), separating at least part of the lower boiling fraction from the process gas.

Claim 23

A process for the separation of petroleum residues containing lower boiling fraction and higher boiling fraction, which comprises the steps: (a) contacting said residue in liquid state with a process gas under super-critical conditions of temperature and pressure of the gas such that the gas will take up at least a portion of said mixture in a quantity varying inversely with said temperature, and effecting said contacting in a manner so that this occurs, said gas having a critical temperature of 90°-250° C. and being inert to the distillation residue, so that a portion of the lower boiling fraction is taken up by the process gas, whereby there is formed a gas phase containing process gas and lower boiling fraction taken up by the process gas, and a liquid phase containing higher boiling fraction of said distillation residue, said contacting being at a temperature up to 100° C. above the critical temperature. (b) separating the gas phase from the liquid phase, while still maintaining super-critical conditions as aforesaid, and (c) following step (b), separating at least part of the lower boiling fraction from the process gas.

Claim 24

A process for the separation of petroleum distillation residues containing lower boiling fraction and higher boiling fraction, which comprises the steps: (a) contacting said residue in liquid state with a process gas under super-critical conditions of temperature and pressure of the gas such that the gas will take up at least a portion of said mixture in a quantity varying inversely with said temperature, and effecting said contacting in a manner so that this occurs, said gas having a critical temperature of 90°-250° C. and being inert to the distillation residue, so that a portion of the lower boiling fraction is taken up by the process gas, whereby there is formed a gas phase containing process gas and lower boiling fraction taken up by the process gas, and a liquid phase containing higher boiling fraction of said distillation residue, said contacting being at a temperature up to 100° C. above the critical temperature, and (b) separating the gas phase from the liquid phase, while still maintaining super-critical conditions as aforesaid, and (c) following step (b), condensing at least part of the lower boiling fraction from the gas phase by reducing the pressure, or increasing the temperature, or reducing the pressure and increasing the temperature, to condense lower boiling fraction and provide a two phase mixture of condensed lower boiling fraction and process gas.

Claim 25

A process for the separation of petroleum distillation residues containing lower boiling fraction and higher boiling fraction, which comprises the steps: (a) contacting said residue in liquid state with a process gas under super-critical conditions of temperature and pressure of the gas such that the gas will take up at least a portion of said mixture in a quantity varying inversely with said temperature, and effecting said contacting in a manner so that this occurs, said gas having a critical temperature of 90°-250° C. and being inert to the distillation residue, so that a portion of the lower boiling fraction is taken up by the process gas, whereby there is formed a gas phase containing process gas and lower boiling fraction taken up by the process gas, and a liquid phase containing higher boiling fraction of said distillation residue, said contacting being at a temperature up to 100° C. above the critical temperature, and (b) separating the gas phase from the liquid phase, while still maintaining super-critical conditions as aforesaid, and (c) following step (b), condensing at least part of the lower boiling fraction from the gas phase by reducing the pressure, or increasing the temperature, or reducing the pressure and increasing the temperature, to condense lower boiling fraction and provide a two phase mixture of condensed lower boiling fraction and process gas.

Claim 26

A process as claimed in claim 20, in which the process gas is of the group C 3 to C 6 hydrocarbons.

Claim 27

A process as claimed in claim 20, in which the process gas is of the group C 3 and C 4 hydrocarbons.

Claim 28

A process according to claim 20, wherein the gas is propane or propylene.

Claim 29

A process according to claim 20, wherein the gas is propane.

Claim 30

A process as claimed in claim 20, in which: (d) said condensed lower boiling fraction is separated from the two phase mixture thereof with process gas, (e) following said separation in step (d), the process gas is substantially all recycled to step (a).

Claim 31

A process according to claim 20, in which: (d) said condensation is effected by reducing the pressure, (e) separating condensed lower boiling fraction from the two phase mixture resulting from the condensation, (f) after separating the lower boiling fraction, cooling the process gas resulting from said separation to liquefy the process gas, (g) compressing the liquefied process gas to the super-critical pressure employed in step (a). (h) recycling the compressed process gas to step (a).

Claim 32

A process as claimed in claim 20, in which: (d) said condensation is effected by reducing the pressure, (e) separating condensed lower boiling fraction from the two phase mixture resulting from the condensation, (f) after separating the lower boiling fraction, cooling the process gas resulting from said separation to liquefy the process gas, (g) compressing the liquefied process gas to the super-critical pressure employed in step (a), (h) heating the compressed liquefied process gas to the super-critical temperature employed in step (a) to convert it to process gas at the super-critical temperature and pressure used in step (a), (i) employing the process gas produced in step (b) in the contacting of step (a).

Claim 33

A process as claimed in claim 27, in which the process gas is of the group C 3 to C 6 hydrocarbons.

Claim 34

A process as claimed in claim 27 in which the process gas is of the group C 3 and C 4 hydrocarbons.

Claim 35

A process for the separation of petroleum distillation residues containing lower boiling fraction and higher boiling fraction, which comprises the steps: (a) contacting said residue in liquid state with a process gas under super-critical conditions of temperature and pressure of the gas such that the gas will take up at least a portion of said mixture in a quantity varying inversely with said temperature, and effecting said contacting in a manner so that this occurs, said gas having a critical temperature of 90°-250° C. and being inert to the distillation residue, so that a major portion of the lower boiling fraction is taken up by the process gas, whereby there is formed a gas phase containing process gas and a lower boiling fraction taken up by the process gas, and a liquid phase containing higher boiling fraction of said distillation residue, said contacting being at a temperature up to 100° C. above the critical temperature, and (b) separating the gas phase from the liquid phase, while still maintaining super-critical conditions as aforesaid.

Claim 36

A process for the separation of petroleum distillation residues containing lower boiling fraction and higher boiling fraction, which comprises the steps: (a) contacting said residue in liquid state with a process gas under super-critical conditions of temperature and pressure of the gas such that the gas will take up at least a portion of said mixture in a quantity varying inversely with said temperature, and effecting said contacting in a manner so that this occurs, said gas having a critical temperature of 90°-250° C. and being inert to the distillation residue, so that a major portion of the lower boiling fraction is taken up by the process gas, whereby there is formed a gas phase containing process gas and a lower boiling fraction taken up by the process gas, and a liquid phase containing higher boiling fraction of said distillation residue, said contacting being at a temperature up to 100° C. above the critical temperature, and (b) separating the gas phase from the liquid phase, while still maintaining super-critical conditions as aforesaid.

Claim 37

A process according to claim 30, comprising the steps of introducing the distillation residue and the process gas continuously into a contacting zone for said contacting and then into a separating zone for said separating so that both the process gas and distillation residue pass in a unidirectional stream through said zones, and intimately mixing the process gas and distillation residue in said contacting zone, and stilling said mixture prior to introduction into the separating zone to facilitate said separation.

Claim 38

A process as claimed in claim 31, in which the temperature of contacting is up to 100° C. above the critical temperature of the process gas.

Claim 39

A process according to claim 30, the low boiling fraction is condensed from the separated gas phase by reducing the pressure to a sub-critical value sufficiently high to enable the process gas to be liquified by cooling to room temperature.

Claim 40

A process as claimed in claim 33, in which propane is used as the process gas.

Claim 41

A process according to claim 33, wherein said condensation provides a two phase mixture of condensed low boiling fraction and process gas, said condensate is separated from the two phase mixture and the resulting condensate-free process gas is liquified by cooling and thereafter compressed to the pressure employed in the contacting, and is thereafter heated to the temperature employed in said contacting, said heating including heat exchange with the gas phase resulting from said contacting and said condensate-free process gas.

Claim 42

A process as claimed in claim 33, in which the following operating conditions are used contacting: 100° to 150° C., pressures of at least 100 atmospheres, separating: release of pressure to 30 to 40 atmospheres, liquefaction by cooling to 20° to 30° C.

Claim 43

A process according to claim 36, wherein the contacting operating pressure is 100-200 atmospheres.

Claim 44

A process as claimed in claim 31, in which the stilled mixture passes obliquely downward into the separation zone from which the gas phase is removed at the top while the liquid phase flows downward and is discharged from the separating zone.

Claim 45

A process as claimed in claim 38, in which the temperatures of contacting is up to 50° C. above the critical temperature of the process gas.

Claim 46

In a process of catalytic cracking of a petroleum fraction by hydrogenation, the improvement which comprises utilizing as said fraction, material separated by the process of claim 1 from petroleum distillation residue as a lower boiling fraction thereof.

Claim 47

Process according to claim 18, wherein said petroleum distillation residue contains an appreciable amount of vanadium compounds, said lower boiling fraction taken up in the gas phase containing not more than a trace of vanadium.

Claim 48

Process according to claim 41, condensing at least part of the low boiling fraction from the gas phase by reducing the pressure or increasing the temperature or reducing the pressure and increasing the temperature, to condense lower boiling fraction and provide a two phase mixture of condensed lower boiling fraction and process gas, separating condensed lower boiling fraction from the two phase mixture, and recycling process gas resulting from the separation of the two phase mixture to said contacting of residue and process gas.