METHOD OF DEASPHALTING OF PETROLEUM RESIDUES Russian patent published in 1997 - IPC

FIELD: petroleum processing. SUBSTANCE: process is effected in column-type extractor equipped with contact facilities and heater disposed in the upper part of extractor. Petroleum residue is preliminarily combined with solvent, the mixture being simultaneously cooled and then fed into extractor feed zone. From mixture, asphalt-free solution phase and that of asphaltene-containing disperse system with solvent are isolated moving, respectively, toward upper and lower parts of extractor. In the former, heating-promoted separation of recycle from asphalt-free solution occurs, which descends in countercurrent to ascending flow of asphalt-free solution. Below raw mixture introduction point, interface between the two separating phases is establishing. Feed zone of extractor is disposed between this interface and contact facilities. When combining petroleum residue with solvent, resulting mixture is cooled to a temperature by 0.1-5 C below that in lower settling zone. Asphalt-free solution is withdrawn from upper settling zone of extractor, and asphaltene-containing disperse system with solvent from lower part. Solvent is then removed to yield asphalt-free product and asphalt. EFFECT: enhanced efficiency of process.