Petroleum residue, commercial

Both FLEXICOKING and partial oxidation are commercial processes for petroleum residue (12,13). In addition, partial oxidation has been utilized to generate Synthesis gas with coal as a feed (14,15). Coal liquefaction bottoms have been processed in small pilot units in recent studies including Exxon s 2 B/D FLEXICOKING pilot plant (3) and Texaco s 12 T/D partial oxidation unit (16). Studies in Exxon s unit have included EDS bottoms from Illinois and Wyoming coals while SRC-I, SRC-II, H-Coal and... 

Partial oxidation utilizing natural gas is fully developed and used commercially. In most cases today, commercial units use feeds of lower value than natural gas, such as coal, coke, petroleum residues, or other by-products, because of economics. However, natural gas is a preferred feed for POX from a technical standpoint and can be used to generate hydrogen where competitive. 

FLUID COKING A noncatalytic, thermal process for converting bitumen, petroleum residues, and coal liquids to lighter hydrocarbon fluids and gases. Developed by the Exxon Research Engineering Company and used commercially since 1954. See also FLEXICOKING. 

RCC [Reduced Crude oil Conversion] A process for converting reduced crude oil (a petroleum fraction) and petroleum residues into high-octane gasoline and other lighter fuels. Based on the FCC process, but adapted to accommodate higher levels of metal contaminants that can harm the catalyst. Developed by Ashland Oil Company and UOP and commercialized in 1983. 

Other dermatologic problems among commercial roofers not necessarily related to coal tar exposure include scars/keloids and fiberglass dermatitis (Emmett 1986). Few dermatologic problems have been associated with asphalt apart from the occasional thermal burn. Asphalt is derived from petroleum and is made up of the non-volatile hydrocarbons left after petroleum has been refined into gasoline and other products. Air-blown asphalts, which are produced from petroleum residue at temperatures between 400 F and 600 °F, are primarily used in roofing materials. In addition to thermal burns, irritant contact dermatitis occurs from the defatting action of repeated exposure to these chemicals (Mackison et al. 1981). 

In addition to scale-up difficulties, there are a number of problems related to the stable operation of a bubble column associated with hydrodynamics. For example, consider the important commercial application of bubble columns in hydroprocessing of petroleum resids, heavy oils and synthetic crudes. Hydrodynamic cold flow and hot flow studies on the Exxon Donor Solvent coal liquefaction process (Tarmy et al., 1984) showed that much of the literature correlations for the hydrodynamic parameters (holdup, interfacial area and dispersion coefficients) obtained with cold flow units, at ambient conditions, are not applicable for commercial units operating at relatively higher pressures. In addition, the flow pattern in commercial units was considerably different. In the hydroprocessing of petroleum residues by the H-Oil and LC-Fining processes, refinery operations have experienced problems with nonuniform distribution of gas and liquid reactants across the distributor, maintaining stable fluidization and preventing temperature excursions (Beaton et al., 1986, Fan, 1989 and Embaby, 1990). Catalyst addition, withdrawal and elutriation have also been identified as problems in these hydrotreaters. 

Slurry-phase hydrocracking systems convert heavy vacuum residues however, these processes are not yet fully commercialized. The feed to this type of reactor is the petroleum residue plus a solid carrier (commonly known as additive). The purpose of the additive is to provide a surface for the deposition of converted asphaltenes and metals, as the residue is hydrocracked. Slurry reactors operate at high temperature and pressure, and residue conversions higher than 90% (Kressmann et al., 1998). Unfortunately, these units produce poor-quality, hydrogen-deficient distillate and vacuum products that cannot be used as fuel, unless blended with something else, for example, coal or heavy fuel oil, due to their high content of sulfur and metals (Ancheyta and Speight, 2007). 

The heavy vacuum bottoms stream is fed to a Flexicoking unit. This is a commercial (125,126) petroleum process that employs circulating fluidized beds at low (0.3 MPa (50 psi)) pressures and intermediate temperatures, ie, 480—650°C in the coker and 815—980°C in the gasifier, to produce high yields of hquids or gases from organic material present in the feed. Residual carbon is rejected with the ash from the gasifier fluidized bed. The total Hquid product is a blend of streams from Hquefaction and the Flexicoker. 

The first commercial oil-fumace process was put into operation in 1943 by the Phillips Petroleum Co. in Borger, Texas. The oil-fumace blacks rapidly displaced all other types used for the reinforcement of mbber and today account for practically all carbon black production. In the oil-fumace process heavy aromatic residual oils are atomized into a primary combustion flame where the excess oxygen in the primary zone bums a portion of the residual oil to maintain flame temperatures, and the remaining oil is thermally decomposed into carbon and hydrogen. Yields in this process are in the range of 35 to 50% based on the total carbon input. A broad range of product quaHties can be produced. 

OCET [Opti-Crude Enhancement Technology] A process for converting residual refinery oil into petroleum distillates and a coal substitute. A pulsed electric field is applied to the oil. Developed by SGI International in 1996 and expected to be commercialized by 1998. 

Despite the highly versatile application prohles of polymers with adjunct sucrose (or other sugar) residues—their major asset is enhanced hydrophUicity as compared to their hydrophobic petroleum-derived counterparts—interest appears to be restricted to biomedical uses. Currently none is produced commercially, as the generation of vinyl-sucroses and their often capricious polymerization have made their use as commodity plastics uneconomical. Another reason is their limited biodegradability only the sugar portion is biodegradable, with a polymeric carbon chain left over. Because biodegradability is a major issue today, " these polyvinylsaccharides are unlikely to become petrochemical substitution options in the near future. 

In electric utilities, residual fuel oils, such as no. 4, have been used to process steam for electric plants (lARC 1989). Fuel oil no. 4 has been used in commercial and industrial burner installations that are not equipped with preheating facilities (Air Force 1989). In other industries, such as the maritime industry, plants and factories, and the petroleum industry, residual fuel oils have been used for space and water heating, pipeline pumping, and gas compression, as well as in road oils, and in the manufacture. 

This most widely used black pigment is also in the top 50 chemicals. About 4.0 billion lb of carbon black were made in 2001. Commercial value was 1.4 billion at 35C/lb, but 93% of this is used for reinforcement of elastomers. Only 7% is used in paints and inks. Carbon black is made by the partial oxidation of residual hydrocarbons from crude oil. See Chapter 6, Section 7.2. The hydrocarbons are usually the heavy by-product residues from petroleum cracking, ideally high in aromatic content and low in sulfur and ash, bp around 260°C. 

Generally speaking, resid FCC (RFCC) catalysts should be very effective in bottoms cracking, be metals tolerant, and coke and dry gas selective. Based on many years of fundamental research and industrial experiences, a series of RFCC catalysts, such as Orbit, DVR, and MLC, have been developed by the SINOPEC Research Institute of Petroleum Processing (RIPP) and successfully commercialized [1]. These catalysts are very effective in paraffinic residue cracking. However, in recent years more and more intermediate-based residue has been introduced into FCC units, and the performances of conventional RFCC catalysts are now unsatisfactory. Therefore, novel zeolites and matrices have been developed to formulate a new generation of RFCC catalysts with improved bottoms cracking activity and coke selectivity. 

A premixed emulsion of a highly refined, heavy petroleum oil for horticultural sprays was marketed in California in 1924 by W. H. Volck. This seems to have been the firat high imsulfonated residue (per cent of oil essentially nonreactive to sulfuric acid) spray oil offered commercially. The emulsion was a mayonnaise type and was recommended for use on citrus at 10 to 13%. 

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