Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 10
Claim 1
Independent Claim
242 words
A process for the production of carbonaceous pitch, comprising the steps of: (a) feeding an aromatic heavy oil to a first thermal cracking zone for thermally cracking the aromatic heavy oil and for obtaining a first, thermally cracked product; (b) introducing the first product into a second thermal cracking zone to which a gaseous heat transfer medium is supplied for direct contact with the liquid phase in the second thermal cracking zone, including the first product, so that the first product is further thermally cracked to form a second, thermally cracked product including distillable cracked components and a mesophase-containing pitch forming a part of the liquid phase, said distillable cracked components being stripped with the gaseous heat transfer medium from the liquid phase; (c) discharging said liquid phase from the second thermal cracking zone into a first separating zone for separating the liquid phase into a mesophase-rich pitch having a higher concentration of mesophase than the liquid phase and a matrix pitch having a lower concentration of mesophase than the liquid phase; (d) recycling at least a portion of said matrix pitch to said second thermal cracking zone; (e) removing said stripped, distillable cracked components overhead from said second cracking zone and introducing same into a second separating zone for separating same into a light fraction and a heavy fraction; (f) introducing at least a part of said heavy fraction into said first thermal cracking zone; and (g) recovering said mesophase-rich pitch.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
242 words
A process for the production of carbonaceous pitch, comprising the steps of: (a) feeding an aromatic heavy oil to a first thermal cracking zone for thermally cracking the aromatic heavy oil and for obtaining a first, thermally cracked product; (b) introducing the first product into a second thermal cracking zone to which a gaseous heat transfer medium is supplied for direct contact with the liquid phase in the second thermal cracking zone, including the first product, so that the first product is further thermally cracked to form a second, thermally cracked product including distillable cracked components and a mesophase-containing pitch forming a part of the liquid phase, said distillable cracked components being stripped with the gaseous heat transfer medium from the liquid phase; (c) discharging said liquid phase from the second thermal cracking zone into a first separating zone for separating the liquid phase into a mesophase-rich pitch having a higher concentration of mesophase than the liquid phase and a matrix pitch having a lower concentration of mesophase than the liquid phase; (d) recycling at least a portion of said matrix pitch to said second thermal cracking zone; (e) removing said stripped, distillable cracked components overhead from said second cracking zone and introducing same into a second separating zone for separating same into a light fraction and a heavy fraction; (f) introducing at least a part of said heavy fraction into said first thermal cracking zone; and (g) recovering said mesophase-rich pitch.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
38 words
A process as claimed in claim 1, further comprising introducing a portion of said matrix pitch obtained in step (c) into a third separating zone to separate the mesophase contained therein, thereby to obtain substantially mesophasefree isotropic pitch.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
27 words
A process as claimed in claim 1, wherein the aromatic heavy oil is fed to the first thermal crackihg zone after the removal of its volatile components.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
61 words
A process as claimed in claim 3, wherein said second separating zone is composed of a single distillation tower and the aromatic heavy oil is fed to said distillation tower to drive off the volatile components, the resulting aromatic heavy oil having the volatile components removed being introduced into the first thermal cracking zone as a mixture with said heavy fraction.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
133 words
A process as claimed in claim 3, wherein said second separating zone is composed of primary and secondary distillation towers and step (e) includes introducing said distillable cracked components into the primary distillation tower to separate same into a lighter fraction and a bottom fraction, and introducing said lighter fraction into the secondary distillation tower to separate it into said light fraction and a residual fraction, and wherein the aromatic heavy oil is fed to said secondary distillation tower to drive off the volatile components, the resulting aromatic heavy oil having the volatile components removed being discharged from said secondary distillation tower as a mixture with said residual fraction, said mixture being admixed with at least a portion of said bottom fraction, and said admixture being introduced into the first thermal cracking zone.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
27 words
A process as claimed in claim 2, wherein the aromatic heavy oil is fed to the first thermal cracking zone after the removal of its volatile components.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
61 words
A process as claimed in claim 6, wherein said second separating zone is composed of a single distillation tower and the aromtic heavy oil is fed to said distillation tower to drive off the volatile components, the resulting aromatic heavy oil having the volatile components removed being introduced into the first thermal cracking zone as a mixture with said heavy fraction.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
133 words
A process as claimed in claim 6, wherein said second separating zone is composed of primary and secondary distillation towers and step (e) includes introducing said distillable cracked components into the primary distillation tower to separate same into a lighter fraction and a bottom fraction, and introducing said lighter fraction into the secondary distillation tower to separate it into said light fraction and a residual fraction, and wherein the aromatic heavy oil is fed to said secondary distillation tower to drive off the volatile components, the resulting aromatic heavy oil having the volatile components removed being discharged from said secondary distillation tower as a mixture with said residual fraction, said mixture being admixed with at least a portion of said bottom fraction, and said admixture being introduced into the first thermal cracking zone.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
17 words
A process as claimed in claim 1, further comprising recovering said light fraction obtained in step (e).