Viscosity modification of heavy hydrocarbons
View Patent ↗A low-viscosity, high-softening point heavy hydrocarbon material having a viscosity-reducing amount of at least one biodiesel material dissolved in a heavy hydrocarbon, and a method for producing such low-viscosity, high-softening point heavy hydrocarbon material are disclosed.
1. A method of reducing the viscosity of heavy hydrocarbon material comprising:
heating the heavy hydrocarbon material to produce a molten material; and
dissolving, in the molten material a viscosity-reducing amount of at least one biodiesel material.
2. The method according to claim 1 wherein the hydrocarbon material has a softening point above 50° C.
3. The method of claim 1 wherein the hydrocarbon material has a softening point above about 120° C. and wherein from about 0.5 to about 10 wt % of the at least one biodiesel is dissolved in the hydrocarbon material.
4. The method of claim 1 wherein said 1 to 5 wt % the at least one biodiesel is dissolved in the hydrocarbon material.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the hydrocarbon material comprises petroleum pitch.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the hydrocarbon material comprises coal tar pitch.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the biodiesel material comprises at least one oxygenate compound.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the biodiesel material comprises at least one type of ester derived from vegetable oils and/or animal fats.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the biodiesel material comprises suitable fatty acids esters.
10. The method of claim 8 , wherein the biodiesel material comprises suitable fatty acid methyl esters.
11. Low viscosity, high softening point heavy hydrocarbon material comprising:
at least one heavy hydrocarbon material having a relatively high softening point and a relatively high viscosity, and
at least one viscosity reducing amount of at lease one biodiesel material dissolved in the heavy hydrocarbon material.
12. The hydrocarbon material according to claim 11 , wherein the heavy hydrocarbon material has a softening point above about 100° C.
13. The heavy hydrocarbon material of claim 11 , wherein the heavy hydrocarbon material has a softening point above about 120° C. and wherein from about 0.5 to about 10 wt % of the at least one biodiesel is dissolved in the heavy hydrocarbon material.
14. The heavy hydrocarbon material of claim 11 , wherein about 1 to about 5 wt % of the at least one biodiesel is dissolved in the heavy hydrocarbon material.
15. The heavy hydrocarbon material of claim 11 , wherein the heavy hydrocarbon material comprises petroleum pitch.
16. The heavy hydrocarbon material of claim 11 , wherein the heavy hydrocarbon material comprises coal tar pitch.
17. The heavy hydrocarbon material of claim 11 , wherein the biodiesel material comprises at least one oxygenate compound.
18. The heavy hydrocarbon material of claim 11 , wherein the biodiesel material comprises at least one type of ester derived from vegetable oil and/or animal fats.
19. The heavy hydrocarbon material of claim 11 , wherein the biodiesel material comprises at least one type of suitable fatty acids ester.
20. The heavy hydrocarbon material of claim 11 , wherein the biodiesel material comprises at least one type of suitable fatty acid methyl ester.
21. A method of reducing an amount of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in a starter pitch comprising
(i) a distillable pitch fraction, and
(ii) a higher boiling, nondistillable, pitch fraction having a reduced regulated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon level and an unacceptably high viscosity and/or softening point,
the method comprising:
(a) distilling from the starter pitch fraction having a reduced regulated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon pitch fraction to produce a pitch fraction with an unacceptably high molten viscosity; and
(b) reducing the viscosity of the high viscosity pitch fraction by dissolving therein a viscosity reducing amount of at least one biodiesel material to produce as a product a pitch producing having an acceptable molten viscosity and reduced polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon content.
22. The method of claim 21 , wherein the higher boiling point, or nondistillable, pitch fraction has a softening point greater than about 120° C.
23. The method of claim 21 , wherein from about 0.5 to about 10 wt. % of at least one biodiesel material is dissolved in the reduced polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon pitch fraction.
24. The method of claim 23 , wherein the starter pitch comprises petroleum pitch.
25. The method of claim 21 , wherein the starter pitch comprises coal tar pitch.
26. The method of claim 21 , wherein the biodiesel material comprises at least one oxygenate compound.
27. The method of claim 21 , wherein the biodiesel material comprises at least one type of ester derived from vegetable oils and/or animal fats.
28. The method of claim 21 , wherein the biodiesel material comprises suitable fatty acid and ethyl esters.