Highly effective operations for processing of various types of hydrocarbons into asphalt (types: BND 09/130 and BND 60/90) and long distillates (LD high-grade oil).

Processed materials

• Heavy viscous sulfur crude oil;
• Wastes of oil refinery and petrochemical industry (residual oil and etc.);
• Fuel oil and native asphalt;
• Aged fuel oil and oil sludge;
• Waste diesel oil.

Products

• Long distillates (LD high-grade oil) - 70 to 80 % of raw feedstock;
• Asphalt, type BND09/130 and BND 60/90;

FOC technology improves Marketability by doubling (and more) the depth of distillation (output of gasoline and diesel cuts) of the raw feedstock as early as at the stage of primary distillation..

FUEL OIL CRACKING (FOC) TECHNOLOGY

1. Utilization

FOC intensive separation of hydrocarbon materials has been developed by the specialists of the State Research Center of Russian Federation under the Research Institute of Atomic Reactors. Over a number of years the technology has been tested on the pilot unit with a capacity of 200 l/hour (1500 ton/year). The technology is intended for the preparation/primary distillation/preliminary staging/deep distillation of hydrocarbon materials for production of long distillates (LD) and heavy bottom products of staging (BPS)..

2. Physics of the process

Utilization of the laws of hydrodynamics and heat-mass-exchange for initiated low-temperature thermo-mechanical decomposition in conditions of cavitation and ultrasonic vibrations.

3. Features of technological process

Wide range regulation of technological process parameters allows reaching optimal proportions of staging (LD/BPS) depending on the goals. Under fixed parameters of technological process, the proportions depend on the quality of the feed stock.

4. Results of technological process

1) Product composition. Production of 80% and more (of the feed stock weight) LD depending on physical and chemical properties of the stock. LD is a material for production of gasoline and diesel fuel. The staging temperature value is selected from the range of 300-380^oС, this being a variable related to the behavior of technological process.

Product composition:

• LD contains up to 90% and higher of combustible cuts that boil off before temperature reaches 360^oС/;
• Viscosity is ten times lower than of the raw feed stock;
• Sulfur content is 5 times lower than of the raw feed stock;
• Chlorides content is up to 200 times less than that of the raw feed stock of heavy sulfur crude oil.

By subsequent processing of LD by classical methods, the output of light-end (standardized) products almost doubles or increases even more in proportion to the feed stock, and makes up 60 to 70% of the mass of heavy crude oil, while the classic methods of distillation of such oils result in only 20 to 35% of output.

2) Separation. During the process there is a redistribution of components: the major part of gums, asphaltene, sulfur, heavy metals and other harmful contaminants is transferred into heavy tar-like bottom product of staging (BPS). This improves the conditions for operation of the equipment, and considerably mitigates the ecological problems of sulfur oil distillation. The BPS represents a high-boiling part of oil which is left after the escape of the LD.

3) Variable output production. Depending on the selected mode of the technological process, the properties of each product (LD and BPS) can differ considerably. For example, the LD properties can approach the properties of either fuel oil or tar/asphalt. In the latter case the BPS is a waste-free material for asphalt production in contrast to fuel oil.

4) Reusable hydrocarbon. Hydrocarbon gas, produced during the technological process (1.5 to 2% of oil mass), can be used as a fuel for the plant's needs, or for production of additional components to raise the octane rating of gasoline and for alternative use.

Further processing of intermediate materials (LD and BPS) is performed by known technologies.

Analysis of fuel oil separation products and bottoms using FOC technology

To research the possibility of processing bottoms of oil refineries, we studied the possibility of thermo-mechanical cracking of these products with FOC technology to get target fuel products. 200 kg of feed stock was used for the study.

Atmospheric vacuum distillation of fuel oil (from an oil refinery in Saratov) showed that it lacked gasoline and kerosene cuts, while the diesel oil cut (boiling temperature up to 360^oС) made up 8,1% of the mass. Thermo-mechanical cracking of the fuel oil produced by FOC technology demonstrated the following results:

• The quantity of the LD (light part of separation) made up 57-63% of the mass depending on the process behavior;
• The LD content in the target fuel was 85-86% of the mass, including:
  • gasoline cut (180^oС) 19.9% of the mass;
  • kerosene cut (180-240^oС) - 4.7% of the mass;
  • diesel oil cut (240-360^oС) - 55.4% of the mass.
• Total content of the target products with boiling temperature up to 360^oС increased during the process of thermo-mechanical cracking, from 8.1% to 48-52% of the mass proportional to the feedstock.

Atmospheric and vacuum distillation of bottoms of Ulyanovsk oil after AT showed that it lacked a gasoline cut. The kerosene cut content (240-360^oС) made up 2.9% of the mass, and diesel oil cut (240-360^oС) made up 11.8% of the mass.

Thermo-mechanical cracking of the studied bottoms using FOC technology showed the following results:

• The quantity of the long distillate cut (LD - light part of separation) made up 70-75% of the mass depending on the process mode;
• The quantity of the target fuel in LD made up 86-88% of the mass, including
  • gasoline cut (boiling temp.-180^oС) 16. 5% of the mass;
  • kerosene cut (180-240^oС) - 8. 5% of the mass;
  • diesel oil cut (240-360^oС) - 50.9% of the mass.
• Total content of the target products with boiling temperature up to 360^oС increased during the process of thermo-mechanical cracking from 14.7% to 50-56% of the mass translated to the feed stock.

Processing of comparatively cheap bottoms and fuel oil through FOC technology will allow extraction of up to 65% of broad cut of hydrocarbons, which could be processed as a fuel at the separation site with extraction of 46-52% of mass of combustible target products (gasoline and diesel oil). Or these products can be sold as light, good quality oil with high content of combustible compositions, which is considerably more expensive. The residuum of separation (35-40%) could be used as the material for production of asphalt and emulsified bitumen, rolled roofing and etc. Since after the AT the bottoms do not represent a standardized marketable product (fuel oil), its price will be much lower than the price of the fuel oil.