Exxon Research and Engineering Company

David H Shaw

Biddanda U Achia

David A Gudelis

Ralph R Hall

William J Murphy

James D Bushnell

John A Thompson

Low value hydrocarbons can be upgraded by contact with the products formed during irradiation of a hydrogen donor using microwave energy in the presence of at least one plasma initiator.

Upgrading of low value hydrocarbons using a hydrogen donor and microwave

A method for increasing the production of deasphalted oil is described. The method comprises passing a hydrocarbon feedstock into a first distillation zone wherein the feedstock is separated into a first distillate and a first residuum. First residuum is passed to a second distillation zone wherein the fraction is separated into a second distillate and a second residuum. Second distillate and residuum are passed to a deasphalting zone and contacted with a solvent to produce a deasphalted oil. This method may produce increased quantities of acceptable quality deasphalted oil where the deasphalting zone is rate-limiting.

Method for increasing deasphalted oil production

An improved process for the solvent dewaxing of petroleum oil stocks. Wax-containing oil is chilled in an elongated chilling zone by introducing cold dewaxing solvent into said zone, at a plurality of points along same, said chilling zone containing or having associated with it a plurality of static means for mixing the solvent and wax-containing oil under conditions of plug flow radial mixing, thereby avoiding shock chilling without the need for the intense agitation and/or dynamic agitators normally required for such processes.

Dewaxing waxy oil by dilution chilling employing static mixing means

A warm-up deoiling process for lube oil slack wax wherein cold slack wax from a solvent dewaxing operation is warmed up and mixed with solvent to dissolve foots oil contained therein and passed to a rotary drum filter to recover solid wax and a filtrate comprising a solution of foots oil and solvent wherein said filtrate is contacted with one side of a semi-permeable membrane made from regenerated cellulose which selectivity permeates at least a portion of solvent through said membrane and recycling the permeated solvent directly back into the warm-up deoiling operation as part of the solvent mixed with the slack wax.

Solvent recovery from foots oil using modified regenerated cellulose

Polyvinylpyrrolidone having a number average molecular weight ranging from about 150,000 to 400,000 has been found to be an effective dewaxing aid for bright stock in ketone dewaxing processes. Using as little as 100 ppm based on the waxy oil can result in almost a 50% increase in the filter rate of the dewaxed oils from the wax.

Polyvinylpyrrolidone dewaxing aid for bright stocks

An improved dilution chilling dewaxing process for waxy petroleum oils wherein the dewaxed oil yield is increased and the solvent recovery requirements are decreased by recycling solvent-rich wash filtrate from the first stage wax filters back into the dilution chilling dewaxing zone.

Dilchill dewaxing using wash filtrate solvent dilution

A dewaxing process is described wherein a waxy petroleum oil stock such as residual or a broadcut feedstock, characterized by containing at least 10% of residual material boiling above about 1000.degree. F., is mixed with at least about 0.3 volumes of a dewaxing solvent per volume of waxy oil stock, thereby depressing the cloud point of same. In one embodiment of the invention, the resultant mixture is introduced into a cooling zone, at a temperature above the depressed cloud point of the oil. Precooled dewaxing solvent is incrementally added to the cooling zone which is divided into a plurality of stages with agitation means present in each of the stages. The resultant solvent-oil mixture is cooled and agitated as it passes through the cooling zone, thereby reducing the temperature of the oil to below its depressed cloud point and precipitating at least a portion of the wax therefrom. An oil stock of diminished wax content is thereafter recovered. In a second embodiment of the invention, the waxy oil stock is introduced into the cooling zone in the absence of solvent at a temperature above the cloud point of the oil. Precooled dewaxing solvent is introduced incrementally into the initial stages of the cooling zone, coming into contact with the waxy oil and depressing its cloud point. The oil is gradually cooled to a temperature no less than the depressed cloud point of the oil whereupon additional precooled dewaxing solvent is added to the oil in the remaining stages of the cooling zone, thereby gradually cooling the oil to a temperature below the depressed cloud point and precipitating at least a portion of the wax therefrom.

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Sarnia, Canada

David H Shaw