| CPC C10C 3/04 (2013.01) [B01F 25/312 (2022.01); B01J 10/005 (2013.01); B01J 19/2465 (2013.01)] | 15 Claims |
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1. A process for increasing the softening point of asphalt comprising the following steps:
providing an eductor comprising a motive inlet, a motive nozzle, a suction port, a main eductor body, a venturi throat and diffuser, and a discharge connection;
conducting a preheated asphalt feed including fresh asphalt and recycled oxidized asphalt, at a temperature from 150° C. to 300° C., as a motive liquid into the motive inlet of the eductor;
drawing an input gas containing oxygen into the suction port of the eductor;
mixing the preheated asphalt within the main eductor body with the input gas from the suction port of the eductor to form a gas/asphalt mixture;
conducting the gas/asphalt mixture to a heated and pressurized oxidizer vessel via piping connected to the discharge connection of the eductor, wherein the piping enables a bubble flow pattern to develop therein to enable reaction of the oxygen with the asphalt, the conducting comprising conducting the gas/asphalt mixture via the piping for a residence time of at least 5 seconds;
ejecting the oxygen entrained asphalt mixture from an exit port of the piping, wherein the exit port of the piping is within the oxidizer vessel; and
collecting off-gas from the overhead of the oxidizer vessel and an oxidized asphalt product stream from the bottom of the oxidizer vessel, and recycling a portion of the oxidized asphalt product stream back to the eductor to form the recycled oxidized asphalt; and
wherein the oxidized asphalt product stream has a softening temperature greater than the preheated asphalt feed.
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