Used motor oil distillation residue processing through supercritical solvent deasphalting for lube oil production

Abstract

A process and system to deasphalt used motor oil distillate residue including VTAE the process including feeding the used motor oil distillate residue and a supercritical solvent to an asphaltene separator that outputs an overhead having deasphalted oil and a bottoms that includes pitch.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A process comprising:
 feeding oil comprising a used motor oil distillation residue to an asphaltene separator;   feeding a solvent to the asphaltene separator to achieve a solvent to oil ratio of 10:1 to 15:1 in the asphaltene separator; and   causing the used motor oil distillation residue to at least partially combine with the solvent while the solvent is above supercritical pressure,   wherein,
 a bottoms effluent of the asphaltene separator comprises pitch, and 
 an overhead of the asphaltene separator comprises a deasphalted oil. 
   
     
     
         2 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein the supercritical solvent comprises propane, butane, isobutane, or any mixtures thereof. 
     
     
         3 . The process of  claim 1 , further comprising maintaining the solvent in the asphaltene separator at a temperature that is below the critical temperature of the solvent. 
     
     
         4 . The process of  claim 1 , further comprises feeding the oil comprising the used motor oil distillation residue to the asphaltene separator as a mixture of the oil and of the solvent. 
     
     
         5 . The process of  claim 4 , wherein the mixture of oil and of the solvent comprises a solvent to oil ratio of 0.5:1 to 15:1. 
     
     
         6 . The process of  claim 4 , wherein feeding the supercritical solvent comprises supplying solvent separately from the oil. 
     
     
         7 . The process of  claim 6 , further comprising feeding the mixture of oil comprising used motor oil distillation residue and solvent at a first stage of the asphaltene separator and feeding the supercritical solvent at a second stage of the asphaltene separator, wherein the first stage is at a higher position in the asphaltene separator than the second stage. 
     
     
         8 . The process of  claim 1 , further comprising feeding the supercritical solvent to achieve a solvent to oil ratio of 12:1. 
     
     
         9 . The process of  claim 8 , further comprising maintaining the solvent temperature in the asphaltene separator at a temperature below the critical temperature of the solvent. 
     
     
         10 . The process of  claim 1 , further comprising mixing the residue virgin crude oil (VC) with the used motor oil distillation residue to form a mixed feed of used motor oil distillation residue and VC to be fed to the asphaltene separator. 
     
     
         11 . The process of  claim 10 , wherein the mixed feed of used motor oil distillation residue and VC comprises a ratio of VC to used motor oil distillation residue of about 70 to 30. 
     
     
         12 . The process of  claim 10 , wherein the ratio of solvent to the oil in the asphaltene separator is 13:1. 
     
     
         13 . The process of  claim 12 , further comprising maintaining the solvent temperature in the asphaltene separator at a temperature that is below the critical temperature of the solvent. 
     
     
         14 . The process of  claim 10 , further comprising heating the materials inside the asphaltene separator in a zone that is between an extraction packing and a coalescing plate packing. 
     
     
         15 . The process of  claim 1 , further comprising maintaining the asphaltene separator at a pressure that is greater than about 4.2 MPa. 
     
     
         16 . A process comprising:
 feeding a used motor oil distillation residue to an asphaltene separator;   feeding a solvent to the asphaltene separator; and   causing the used motor oil distillation residue to at least partially combine with the solvent while the solvent is above its supercritical pressure,   wherein,
 a bottoms effluent of the asphaltene separator comprises pitch, and 
 an overhead of the asphaltene separator comprises a deasphalted oil. 
   
     
     
         17 . A process comprising:
 feeding an oil mixture comprising a residue virgin crude oil (VC) and a used motor oil distillation residue in a ratio of 70:30 to an asphaltene separator;   feeding a solvent to the asphaltene separator;   causing the oil mixture to at least partially combine with the solvent while the solvent is above its supercritical pressure; and   wherein
 a bottoms effluent of the asphaltene separator comprises pitch, and 
 an overhead of the asphaltene separator comprises a deasphalted oil.