US1954866A

US1954866A - Process for treating bituminous materials and hydrocarbon oils

Info

Publication number: US1954866A
Application number: US427123A
Authority: US
Inventors: Egloff Gustav
Original assignee: Universal Oil Products Co
Current assignee: Universal Oil Products Co
Priority date: 1930-02-10
Filing date: 1930-02-10
Publication date: 1934-04-17
Anticipated expiration: 1951-04-17

Description

G. EGLOFF Apn'ii 1 7, 934.

PROCESS FOR TREATING BITUMINOUS MATERIALS AND HYDROGARBON OILS Filed Feb. 10, 1930 J32 2 19 72 for. Gas fizz E Patented Apr. 17, 1934 UNITED STATES.

PROCESS FOR TREATING BITUMINOUS MA- TERIALS AND HYDROCARBON OILS Gustav Eglofl, Chicago,

Ill., assignor to Universal Oil Products Company, Chicago, 111., a corporation of South Dakota Application February lll, 1930, Serial No. 427,123

2 Claims.

This invention relates to a process for treating bituminous materials and hydrocarbon oils, and relates more particularly to the conversion of mixtures of bituminous solids such as coal, lignite, cannel coal, tars, pitches, et cetera, with solvent materials at elevated temperature so as to produce motor fuels, other lower boiling hydrocarbons and coke.

Among the objects of my invention is the utilization of low grade coals and coal wastes as well as the higher grade coals in the production of a high grade coke and a highly anti-knock motor fuel. Coal breeze and fines which are usually of the lowest economic value or constitute a waste are especially suitable for processing according to the method of my invention, since this material is already resolved to a fine state of division. These materials as well a lignite's, tars, pitches, gilsonite, grahamite, shales and the like, or mixtures thereof are treated to produce a coke product and a maximum yield of lower boiling hydrocarbons with the minimum amount of gaseous products.

The coke product has the advantage of being of such composition that it can be removed from the process to a major extent in suitable size having sufficient strength as not to crumble readily and requiring no further devolatllization treatment to condition it so as to provide it with desired burning qualities.

Among further objects of 'my invention is to provide a process where motor fuel hydrocarbons and coke are produced in one operation instead of in several operations, as is usually thecase. Advantages'result from the combination of operations as developed in my process since the'increased yield of liquid products in the form of motor fuel and decreased gas formation as above noted are a result of obtaining in one operation similar and improved products, both as to yield and quality, as the" products which result from the several operations.

My inventioncomprises the mixing of powdered bituminous materials such as referred to above with solvent materials, or mixtures thereof with hydrocarbon oils, and subjectingsuch mixtures to cracking or conversion conditions at elevated temperatures. Examples of the solvent materials which may be used are benzol, toluol, xylol, creosote and other tar oils or even some of the bituminous materials above referred to. In the practice of my invention solvent oils may be used which undergo no substantial conversion under the elevated temperatures used to convert the bituminous materials into coke, motor fuel containing hydrocarbons and gas. the practice of my invention solvent materials may be used which are in the solid state at ordinary temperatures and therefore require heating and melting prior to their introduction into the Likewise, in

process with or without admixture with the bituminous materials. V

Preferably, the solvent is mixed with the bituminous material previous to its introduction into the system alone or in admixture with hydrocarbon oils.

Temperature conditions used at the outlet of the heating element may vary from 600 to 1400 F. and pressures may vary from atmospheric to high superatmospheric pressures. Pressure on the balance of the system may vary from subatmospheric or atmospheric pressure to high superatmospheric pressures.

Referring to the attached drawing, which illustrates one embodiment of the method of my invention and which should not be construed as a limitation as to the manner of carrying out this invention, the mixture of bituminous and solvent material is pumped by means ofpump 1 through line 2 and valve 3 with valve 4 in line 5 closed, into line 6 where it mixes with hot reflux oil being pumped from the dephlegmator; This mixture of materials to be processed then passes into the heating element 7 located in the heating zone 8, the heating coil being of suchdesign as to process the materials at suitable time-temperature pressure, and velocity condi' tions. The heated materials or products therefrom leave the heating zone through line 9 and valve 10 and enter the reaction chamber 11 where the reaction continues and vaporization andseparation or deposition take place. Materials withdrawn from this reaction zone during the period when the process is being brought to operating conditions or removed during the operation are withdrawn through line 12, regulated by valve 13, which may lead to storage or to subsequent suitable processing elements (not shown). The vaporous and gaseous products leave the reaction zone through line 14 and valve I5, and enter near the bottom of the dephlegmating zone 16, where the vapors may be subjected to heat interchanged and/or cooling. Thecondensed vapors and any materials added, fiow downward through the line 1'? and valve 18 to the suction side of the hot oil pump 19 from which they are pumped through line 6 to mix with fresh materials and be reprocessed.

The treated vapors and gases from the dephlegmator 16 pass through the line 20 and valve 21 to the condenser and/or cooler 22, and the cooled products then flow through line 23 and valve 24 into the receiver 25 where separation of the liquid and uncondensed vaporsand gases charged through the line 29 and valve 30 to the suction side of the pump 31 which pumps this oil through line 32 to a suitable distributing medium 33 located in the top of dephlegmator 16. During the starting up period or in the progress of the operation solvent material or hydrocarbon oil may be pumped from a suitable source (not shown) by means of pump 34 to the dephlegma-.

tor through lines 35 and 37, valve 36 being closed and valve 38 being open, the liquid entering the dephlegmator at 39. A part of the flow of this solvent material or hydrocarbon oil may be pumped directly to the heating element 7 by partly opening the valve 36 and with suitable adjustment of valve 38, allowing said oil to flow through line 35 and valve 40 into lines 2 and 6, the valve 42 being closed, or the whole flow of the hydrocarbon oil and/or solvent material may be pumped directly to the heating element by closing valve 38 and opening valve 36. In the event that it may be so desired a portion or all of this oil or solvent material may be directed through valve 42 in line 41 into line 5 and thence into line 9 before or after valve 10 by the obvious regulation of either valve 43 in line 44 or valve 45- in line 5.

In a like manner, a portion of the mixture of bituminous and solvent material pumped by pump 1 through line 2 can be directed if so desired through valve 4 in line 5 into the line 9.

As a specific example of one embodiment of the practice of my invention and the results obtained, a suspension of approximately 40% by weight of powdered cannel coal in a coal tar of 0.995 specificgravity of blast furnace origin and containing 48% by volume distilling below 700 'F'. is charged to the process at the rate of approximately 890 barrels of coal tar per day. The coal tar prior to its heating with the powdered coal in the system exerts only a small solvent action and serves primarily as a suspending means up to that point. Upon heating, however, a

marked solvent action occurs not only due to "perature of said oil under pressure, combining said crackable heavy hydrocarbon oil with the the solvent nature of the tar oil suspending. the coal particles, but due also to the solvent nature of the conversion products produced from the tar, not so much from those produced during any one particular pass through the heating zone, but due to a much larger extent to the solvent nature of the partial conversion products produced therefrom which are condensed in the dephlegmator and returned to the heating zone together with fresh materials. The conditions of temperature and pressure on the processed materlals leaving the heating zone are approximately 880 F. and 350 pounds.

In the present example which is illustrative of one form of a non-residuum operation, the coke formed is deposited in the reaction chamber and no non-vaporized oil is withdrawn therefrom after normal operating conditions have been fully established. The vapors from the reaction chamber are dephlegmated and partially converted hydro-carbons condensed and returned to the heating zone--the ratio of these condensed materials, reflux condensate so-called, to raw charging materials being governed by the selection of the operating conditions used so that the reflux ratio is approximately six to one. The temperature used in the top of the dephlegmator was 380 F. This temperature was maintained by the recirculation of the liquid product separated in the receiver. The pressure on the system beyond the heating zone is regulated by maintaining a liquid level in the receiver and the release of the ing and processing a 24-26 gravity fuel oil. This period covered a space of approximately five hours.

The coke resulting from this operation was of sufficient body and strength that it did not crumble when removed from the reaction zone and had a relatively low volatile content. The liquid product obtained at the rateof 20.5 barrels per hour and contained 95% of motor fuel having a 412 F. end-point.

The yield of motor fuel corresponds to approximately 44 gallons per ton of cannel coal and approximately 42 percent of the tar oil processed. The composite motor fuel had an anti-knock value equivalent of 46% of benzol in Pennsylvania straight run gasoline. Similar results may be obtained with other bituminous materials.

The invention is not to be interpreted as being limited to the charging components or the proportions which have been given by way of example, for it is within the scope of this invention to process various combinations of the carbonaceous materials and solvent materials at conditions suitable to the mixtures used and results desired.

I claim as my invention:

1. A process for treating a crackable heavy hydrocarbon oil and solidbituminous material which comprises mixing finely divided solid bituminous material with a solvent for bitumen which undergoes no substantial conversion under the cracking conditions of temperature and pressure necessary for converting a substantial portion of said heavy oil into gasoline, passing the resultant mixture in a restricted stream through a heating zone and heating the same therein to the cracking temheated mixture discharged from the heating zone and maintaining the mass at cracking temperature under pressure in an enlarged reaction zone and effecting substantial cracking therein, separating the mass into vapors and residue, and

condensing the vapors.

2. A process for treating a crackable heavy hydrocarbon oil and solid bituminous material which comprises mixing finely divided solid bituminous material with a solvent for bitumen which undergoes no substantial conversion under the cracking conditions of temperature and pressure necessary for converting a substantial portion of said heavy oil into gasoline, passing the resultant mixture in a restricted stream through a heating zone and heating the same therein to the cracking temperature of said oil under pressure, combining said crackable heavy hydrocarbon oil with the heated mixture discharged from the heating zone and maintaining the mass at cracking temperature under pressure in an enlarged reaction zone and effecting substantial cracking therein, separating'the mass into vapors and residue, dephlegmating the vapors to condense heavier fractions thereof and returning resultant reflux condensate to the heating zone, and finally condensing the dephlegmated vapors.

GUSTAV EGLOFF.