Bitumen Upgrading and Carbon Product Production

Abstract

The present disclosure provides a process that includes providing bitumen; performing thermal upgrading on the bitumen to form mildly upgraded bitumen; distilling the mildly upgraded bitumen to form streams of naphtha; distillates and/or gas oils; and residue; combining the naphtha and residue to form a naphtha/residue stream, which causes deasphalting to occur, and forming streams of deasphalted oil and high-carbon pitch comprising asphaltenes; and adding the distillates and/or gas oils to the deasphalted oil to form partially upgraded bitumen.

1 . A process comprising:
 a. providing bitumen;   b. performing thermal upgrading on the bitumen to form mildly upgraded bitumen;   c. distilling the mildly upgraded bitumen to form streams of naphtha; distillates and/or gas oils; and residue;   d. combining the naphtha and residue to form a naphtha/residue stream, which causes deasphalting to occur, and forming streams of deasphalted oil and high-carbon pitch comprising asphaltenes; and   e. adding the distillates and/or gas oils to the deasphalted oil to form partially upgraded bitumen.   
     
     
         2 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein the thermal upgrading is performed at the following conditions: a temperature of 400-550° C., a residence time of 10-120 minutes, and a pressure of 50-1500 psig. 
     
     
         3 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein the distilling occurs at cuts of less than 270° C. and greater than 400° C. 
     
     
         4 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein the partially upgraded bitumen meets pipeline specifications. 
     
     
         5 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein the partially upgraded bitumen has a viscosity of less than or equal to 350 cSt at pipeline temperature, a density of less than or equal to 940 kg/m 3 , an API gravity greater than or equal to 19, a base sediment and water content of less than 0.5 vol. %, and an olefin content of less than 1 wt. %. 
     
     
         6 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein the partially upgraded bitumen requires from 0 to 15 vol % of diluent to meet pipeline specifications. 
     
     
         7 . The process of  claim 1 , further comprising converting the high-carbon pitch to a carbon product. 
     
     
         8 . The process of  claim 7 , wherein the carbon product comprises carbon fiber, carbon-carbon-composite, carbon foam, graphene, graphite, or petroleum coke. 
     
     
         9 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein the deasphalting is performed at the following conditions: a temperature of 100° C. to 350° C., a pressure of 100-1000 psig, and a naphtha to residue ratio of 0.5:1 to 4:1. 
     
     
         10 . A process comprising:
 a. providing dilbit;   b. performing thermal upgrading on the dilbit to form mildly upgraded dilbit;   c. distilling the mildly upgraded dilbit to form a light stream and streams of distillates and/or gas oils; and residue;   d. separating the light stream into diluent and a second light stream;   e. hydropolishing the second light stream to form naphtha;   d. combining the naphtha and residue to form a naphtha/residue stream, which causes deasphalting to occur, and forming streams of deasphalted oil and high-carbon pitch comprising asphaltenes; and   e. adding the distillates and/or gas oils to the deasphalted oil to form partially upgraded bitumen.   
     
     
         11 . The process of  claim 10 , wherein the thermal upgrading comprises conditions of a temperature of 400-550 C, a residence time of 10-120 minutes, and a pressure of 50-1500 psig. 
     
     
         12 . The process of  claim 10 , further comprising converting the high-carbon pitch to a carbon product. 
     
     
         13 . The process of  claim 12 , wherein the carbon product comprises carbon fiber, carbon-carbon-composite, carbon foam, graphene, graphite, or petroleum coke. 
     
     
         14 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein combining the naphtha and residue to form a naphtha/residue stream comprises adding an external solvent.