SEPARATION OF SELECTED ASPHALTENES FROM A HYDROCARBON-CONTAINING FEEDSTOCK

摘要

Toluene-insoluble hydrocarbon-containing compounds are selectively separated from a hydrocarbon-containing feedstock containing at least 5 wt. % n-heptane insoluble hydrocarbon-containing materials, wherein at least 10 wt. % of the n-heptane insoluble hydrocarbon-containing materials are toluene insoluble hydrocarbon-containing materials, by contacting the hydrocarbon-containing feedstock with a porous silica adsorbent having a median pore size diameter of less than 180 Å at a temperature of from 120° C. to 300° C.

主权项

1. A process for separating toluene insoluble compounds from a hydrocarbon-containing feedstock, comprising:
providing a hydrocarbon-containing feedstock comprising at least 5 wt. % n-heptane insoluble hydrocarbon-containing materials, wherein at least 10 wt. % of the n-heptane insoluble hydrocarbon-containing materials are toluene insoluble hydrocarbon-containing materials, and wherein n-heptane insoluble hydrocarbon-containing materials are hydrocarbon-containing materials that precipitate from a liquid hydrocarbon-containing material in a 40:1 volume mixture of n-heptane:liquid hydrocarbon material at 25° C. and toluene insoluble hydrocarbon-containing materials are materials that precipitate from a liquid hydrocarbon-containing material in a 40:1 volume mixture of toluene:liquid hydrocarbon material at 25° C.; contacting the hydrocarbon-containing feedstock with a porous silica adsorbent at a temperature of from 120° C. to 300° C., wherein the silica of the silica adsorbent has a pore size distribution having a median pore size diameter of less than 180 Å as determined by mercury porosimetry; separating a hydrocarbon-containing product from the silica adsorbent, wherein the hydrocarbon-containing product contains at most 50% of the toluene-insoluble hydrocarbon-containing compounds of the hydrocarbon-containing feedstock.