Oxidized binder pitch from dealkylated condensed aromatic petroleum fractions

Claim 1

A PROCESS FOR PREPARING A BINDER PITCH FROM AN AROMATIC PETROLEUM FRACTION FEED STOCK SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF CRACKED PETROLEUM GAS OILS AND RESIDUAL FRACTIONS BOILING ABOVE ABOUT 450*F. WHICH COMPRISES DEALKYLATING THE FEED STOCK IN A FLUDIZED COKE BED TO REMOVE AT LEAST 90% OF THE ALKYL SIDE CHAINS FROM THE AROMATIC COMPONENTS OF THE FEED STOCK; RECOVERING A DEALKYLATED VAPOROUS PRODUCT MIXTURE FROM THE FLUIDIZED COKE BED; CONVERTING A PORTIN OF THE PRODUCT MIXTURE TO A CONDENSED AROMATIC PETROLEUM FRACTION; FRACTIONATING THE PRODUCT MIXTURE TO OBTAIN A DEALKYLATED CONDENSED AROMATIC PETROLEUM FRACTION BOILING IN THE RANGE OF ABOUT 400-800*F.; OXIDIZING THE DEALKYLATED CNDENSED AROMATIC PETROLEUM FRACTION IN AN OXIDIZING ZONE AT 200650*F. WITH AN OXYGEN CONTAINING GAS HAVING AN OXYGEN CONTENT OF 1-21% FOR A PERIOD OF 1-24 HOURS AND SUFFICIENT TO MAKE THE OXYGEN CONTENT OF THE DEALKYLATED AROMATIC PETROLEUM FRACTION 0.1-1.5 WT. PERCENT THEREBY CONVERTING THE DEALKYLATED AROMATIC PETROLEUM FRACTION TO PITCH AND MORE VOLATILE PRODUCTS; WITHDRAWING FROM THE OXIDIZING ZONE THE PITCH AND THE MORE VOLATILE PRODUCTS; STRIPPING THE PITCH OF SUBSTANTIALLY ALL THE MORE VOLATILE PRODUCTS; AND, RECOVERING A BINDER PITCH PRODUCT BOILING ABOVE 800*F.