US 12,291,679 B2
Purification and conversion processes for asphaltene-containing feedstocks
Mykola Makowsky, Menlo Park, CA (US); Michael Zenaitis, Calgary (CA); and Joseph Turcotte, Calgary (CA)
Assigned to Enlighten Innovations Inc., Calgary (CA)
Appl. No. 17/926,519
Filed by Enlighten Innovations Inc., Calgary (CA)
PCT Filed May 19, 2021, PCT No. PCT/US2021/033105
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Nov. 18, 2022,
PCT Pub. No. WO2021/236739, PCT Pub. Date Nov. 25, 2021.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/027,117, filed on May 19, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2023/0193144 A1, Jun. 22, 2023
Int. Cl. C10G 53/06 (2006.01); C25C 3/02 (2006.01); C25C 7/00 (2006.01)
CPC C10G 53/06 (2013.01) [C25C 3/02 (2013.01); C25C 7/005 (2013.01); C10G 2300/1077 (2013.01); C10G 2300/202 (2013.01); C10G 2300/205 (2013.01); C10G 2300/206 (2013.01); C10G 2300/302 (2013.01); C10G 2300/308 (2013.01); C10G 2300/4006 (2013.01); C10G 2300/4012 (2013.01)] 24 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A process comprising:
pretreating a hydrocarbon feedstock comprising impurities to provide a purified feedstock and a residual feedstock, wherein
the purified feedstock comprises a lower concentration of impurities than the hydrocarbon feedstock before pretreatment, and
the residual feedstock comprises a higher concentration of impurities than the purified feedstock; and
contacting the residual feedstock with an effective amount of sodium metal and an effective amount of exogenous capping agent at a temperature of 250-500° C., to produce a mixture of sodium salts and a converted feedstock, wherein
the residual feedstock comprises hydrocarbons with a sulfur content of at least 0.5 wt % and an asphaltene content of from 2 wt % to 40 wt %;
the sulfur content comprises asphaltenic sulfur and non-asphaltenic sulfur;
the converted feedstock comprises hydrocarbon oil with a sulfur content less than that in the residual feedstock and an asphaltene content less than that in the residual feedstock; and
the proportion by weight of asphaltenic sulfur to non-asphaltenic sulfur in the converted feedstock is lower than in the residual feedstock.