Process for separating bituminous materials with solvent recovery

Claim 2

A process comprising: separating an admixture comprising a fluid-like bituminous material and a solvent in a first separation zone into at least a fluid-like first light phase comprising a portion of said bituminous material and solvent and a fluid-like first heavy phase comprising the remainder of said bituminous material and solvent by maintaining the mixture at an elevated temperature and pressure; reducing the pressure on said first heavy phase to vaporize at least a portion of the solvent present therein and form a mixture of fluid-like bituminous material in association with said vaporized solvent together with undesired fine particles of bituminous material dispersed therein; introducing said mixture into a steam stripper; introducing steam into said steam stripper to contact said mixture to vaporize at least a portion of any nonvaporized solvent remaining therein to form at least one stream comprising said fluid-like bituminous material and one other stream comprising steam and vaporized solvent together with said fine particles of bituminous material dispersed therein; introducing said stream comprising said steam, vaporized solvent and fine particles of bituminous material into a second separation zone; contacting said stream introduced into said second separation zone with a stream comprising at least a portion of said fluid-like first light phase to scrub said fine particles of bituminous material from said vaporized solvent; and recovering said solvent from said second separation zone substantially free of any fine particle size bituminous material.

Claim 3

The process of claim 1 wherein the solvent comprises at least one member selected from the group consisting of aromatic hydrocarbons having normal boiling points below 350 degrees F., paraffin hydrocarbons containing from 3 through 9 carbon atoms, mono-olefin hydrocarbons containing from 4 to 8 carbon atoms and alcohols containing from 3 through 9 carbon atoms.

Claim 4

The process of claim 1 wherein the elevated temperature and pressure are defined further as a temperature in the range of from about 150 degrees F. to about the critical temperature of the solvent and a pressure at least equal to the vapor pressure of the solvent when at a temperature below the critical temperature of the solvent and at least equal to the critical pressure when at a temperature equal to or above the critical temperature of the solvent.

Claim 5

The process of claim 1 wherein the contacting of the stream comprising vaporized solvent and steam with the stream comprising a portion of the fluid-like light phase in the second separation zone is effected countercurrently.

Claim 6

A process comprising: separating an admixture comprising (i) a residuum comprising asphaltenes, resins and oils and (ii) a solvent in a first separation zone into a first light phase comprising oils and solvent and a first heavy phase comprising asphaltenes, resins and some solvent by maintaining the mixture at an elevated temperature and pressure; reducing the pressure on said first heavy phase to vaporize at least a portion of the solvent present therein and form a mixture of fluid-like asphaltenes and resins in association with said vaporized solvent together with undesired fine particles of asphaltenes and resins dispersed therein; introducing said mixture into a steam stripper; introducing steam into said steam stripper to contact said mixture to vaporize at least a portion of any nonvaporized solvent remaining therein to form at least one stream comprising said fluid-like asphaltenes and resins and one other stream comprising said steam and vaporized solvent together with said fine particles of asphaltenes and resins dispersed therein; introducing said stream comprising said steam, vaporized solvent, and fine particles of asphaltenes and resins into a second separation zone; contacting said stream introduced into said second separation zone with a stream comprising at least a portion of said first light phase to scrub said fine particles of asphaltenes and resins from said vaporized solvent; and recovering said solvent from second separation zone substantially free of any fine particle size asphaltenes and resins.

Claim 7

A process comprising: separating an admixture comprising (i) a residuum comprising asphaltenes, resins and oils and (ii) a solvent in a first separation zone into a first light phase comprising oils and solvent and a first heavy phase comprising asphaltenes, resins and some solvent by maintaining the mixture at an elevated temperature and pressure; reducing the pressure on said first heavy phase to vaporize at least a portion of the solvent present therein and form a mixture of fluid-like asphaltenes and resins in association with said vaporized solvent together with undesired fine particles of asphaltenes and resins dispersed therein; introducing said mixture into a steam stripper; introducing steam into said steam stripper to contact said mixture to vaporize at least a portion of any nonvaporized solvent remaining therein to form at least one stream comprising said fluid-like asphaltenes and resins and one other stream comprising said steam and vaporized solvent together with said fine particles of asphaltenes and resins dispersed therein; introducing said stream comprising said steam, vaporized solvent, and fine particles of asphaltenes and resins into a second separation zone; contacting said stream introduced into said second separation zone with a stream comprising at least a portion of said first light phase to scrub said fine particles of asphaltenes and resins from said vaporized solvent; and recovering said solvent from second separation zone substantially free of any fine particle size asphaltenes and resins.

Claim 8

The process of claim 5 wherein the solvent comprises at least one member selected from the group consisting of aromatic hydrocarbons having normal boiling points below 350 degrees F., paraffin hydrocarbons containing from 3 through 9 carbon atoms, mono-olefin hydrocarbons containing from 4 to 8 carbon atoms, and alcohols containing 3 through 9 carbon atoms.

Claim 9

The process of claim 5 wherein the elevated temperature and pressure of the first separation zone are defined further as a temperature in the range of from about 150 degrees F. to above the critical temperature of the solvent and a pressure at least equal to the vapor pressure of the solvent when at a temperature below the critical temperature of the solvent and at least equal to the critical pressure of the solvent when at a temperature equal to or above the critical temperature of the solvent.

Claim 10

The process of claim 5 wherein the contacting in the second separation zone is effected countercurrently.

Claim 11

A process comprising: separating an admixture comprising (i) a residuum comprising asphaltenes, resins and oils and (ii) a solvent in a first separation zone into a first light phase comprising resins, oils and solvent and a first heavy phase comprising asphaltenes and some solvent by maintaining the mixture at an elevated temperature and pressure; reducing the pressure on said first heavy phase to vaporize at least a portion of the solvent present therein and form a mixture of fluid-like asphaltenes in association with said vaporized solvent together with undesired fine particles of asphaltenes dispersed therein; introducing said mixture into a steam stripper; introducing steam into said steam stripper to contact said mixture to vaporize at least a portion of any nonvaporized solvent remaining therein to form at least one stream comprising said fluid-like asphaltenes and one other stream comprising said stream and vaporized solvent together with said fine particles of asphaltenes dispersed therein; introducing said stream comprising said steam, vaporized solvent, and fine particles of asphaltenes into a second separation zone; contacting said stream introduced into said second separation zone with a stream comprising at least one member selected from the group consisting of resins and oils to scrub said fine particles of asphaltenes from said vaporized solvent; recovering said solvent from said second separation zone substantially free of any fine particles of asphaltenes; introducing said first light phase into a third separation zone maintained at a temperature level higher than the temperature in said first separation zone and at an elevated pressure to effect a separation of said first light phase into a third light phase comprising oils and solvent and a third heavy phase comprising resins and some solvent; reducing the pressure on said third heavy phase to vaporize at least a portion of the solvent present therein and form a mixture of fluid-like resins in association with said vaporized solvent together with undesired fine particles of resins dispersed therein; introducing said mixture of fluid-like resins in association with said vaporized solvent and fine particles of resins into a steam stripper; introducing steam into said steam stripper to contact said fluid-like resins to vaporize at least a portion of any nonvaporized solvent remaining in association therewith to form at least one stream comprising said fluid-like resins and one other stream comprising said steam and vaporized solvent together with said fine particles of resins dispersed therein; introducing said stream comprising said steam, vaporized solvent and fine particles of resins into a fourth separation zone; contacting said stream introduced into said fourth separation zone with a stream comprising oils to scrub said fine particles of resins from said vaporized solvent; and recovering said solvent from said fourth separation zone substantially free of any fine particle size resins.

Claim 12

A process comprising: separating an admixture comprising (i) a residuum comprising asphaltenes, resins and oils and (ii) a solvent in a first separation zone into a first light phase comprising resins, oils and solvent and a first heavy phase comprising asphaltenes and some solvent by maintaining the mixture at an elevated temperature and pressure; reducing the pressure on said first heavy phase to vaporize at least a portion of the solvent present therein and form a mixture of fluid-like asphaltenes in association with said vaporized solvent together with undesired fine particles of asphaltenes dispersed therein; introducing said mixture into a steam stripper; introducing steam into said steam stripper to contact said mixture to vaporize at least a portion of any nonvaporized solvent remaining therein to form at least one stream comprising said fluid-like asphaltenes and one other stream comprising said stream and vaporized solvent together with said fine particles of asphaltenes dispersed therein; introducing said stream comprising said steam, vaporized solvent, and fine particles of asphaltenes into a second separation zone; contacting said stream introduced into said second separation zone with a stream comprising at least one member selected from the group consisting of resins and oils to scrub said fine particles of asphaltenes from said vaporized solvent; recovering said solvent from said second separation zone substantially free of any fine particles of asphaltenes; introducing said first light phase into a third separation zone maintained at a temperature level higher than the temperature in said first separation zone and at an elevated pressure to effect a separation of said first light phase into a third light phase comprising oils and solvent and a third heavy phase comprising resins and some solvent; reducing the pressure on said third heavy phase to vaporize at least a portion of the solvent present therein and form a mixture of fluid-like resins in association with said vaporized solvent together with undesired fine particles of resins dispersed therein; introducing said mixture of fluid-like resins in association with said vaporized solvent and fine particles of resins into a steam stripper; introducing steam into said steam stripper to contact said fluid-like resins to vaporize at least a portion of any nonvaporized solvent remaining in association therewith to form at least one stream comprising said fluid-like resins and one other stream comprising said steam and vaporized solvent together with said fine particles of resins dispersed therein; introducing said stream comprising said steam, vaporized solvent and fine particles of resins into a fourth separation zone; contacting said stream introduced into said fourth separation zone with a stream comprising oils to scrub said fine particles of resins from said vaporized solvent; and recovering said solvent from said fourth separation zone substantially free of any fine particle size resins.

Claim 13

The process of claim 9 wherein the solvent comprises at least one member selected from the group consisting of aromatic hydrocarbons having normal boiling points below 350 degrees F., paraffin hydrocarbons containing from 3 through 9 carbon atoms, mono-olefin hydrocarbons containing from 4 to 8 carbon atoms, and alcohols containing 3 through 9 carbon atoms.

Claim 14

The process of claim 9 wherein the elevated temperature and pressure of the first separation zone are defined further as a temperature in the range of from about 150 degrees F. to above the critical temperature of the solvent and a pressure at least equal to the vapor pressure of the solvent when at a temperature below the critical temperature of the solvent and at least equal to the critical pressure of the solvent when at a temperature equal to or above the critical temperature of the solvent.

Claim 15

The process of claim 9 wherein the contacting in the second separation zone is effected countercurrently.

Claim 16

The process of claim 9 wherein the contacting in the fourth separation zone is effected countercurrently.

Claim 17

The process of claim 9 wherein the second separation zone and fourth separation zone comprise the same separation zone.

Claim 18

The process of claim 9 wherein the temperature and pressure in the third separation zone are defined further as a temperature above the critical temperature of the solvent and a pressure above the critical pressure of the solvent.