Viscosity modification of heavy hydrocarbons using dihydric alcohols
View Patent ↗A low viscosity, high softening point heavy hydrocarbon material having a viscosity reducing amount of at least one dihydric alcohol dissolved therein, and a method for producing such heavy hydrocarbon material, are disclosed.
1. A method of reducing the viscosity of heavy hydrocarbon materials comprising:
heating a heavy hydrocarbon material having a relatively high softening point and a relatively high viscosity to produce a molten material,
dissolving in the molten material a viscosity reducing amount of from about 0.5 to about 5 wt % of at least one dihydric alcohol, and
producing a low viscosity, high softening point heavy hydrocarbon material having a softening point above 100° C.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein the hydrocarbon material has a softening point above 120° C.
3. The method of claim 1 wherein about 1 to about 2 wt % of the at least one dihydric alcohol is dissolved in the hydrocarbon material.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the hydrocarbon material comprises petroleum pitch.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the hydrocarbon material comprises coal tar pitch.
6. The method of claim 1 wherein the dihydric alcohol comprises ethylene glycol.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the dihydric alcohol comprises diethylene glycol.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the dihydric alcohol comprises tri-ethylene glycol.
9. The method of claim 7 , wherein the dihydnic alcohol comprises a mixture of at least two of ethylene glycol, diethylene glycol, and tri-ethylene glycol.
10. Low viscosity, high softening point heavy hydrocarbon material having a softening point above 100° C. comprising:
a heavy hydrocarbon material having a relatively high softening point and a relatively high viscosity, and
a viscosity reducing amount of from about 0.5 to about 5 wt % of at least one dihydric alcohol dissolved in the heavy hydrocarbon material.
11. The heavy hydrocarbon material of claim 10 , wherein the heavy hydrocarbon material has a softening point above 120° C.
12. The heavy hydrocarbon material of claim 10 , wherein about 1 to about 2 wt % of the at least one dihydric alcohol is dissolved in the heavy hydrocarbon material.
13. The heavy hydrocarbon material of claim 10 , wherein the heavy hydrocarbon material comprises petroleum pitch.
14. The heavy hydrocarbon material of claim 10 , wherein the heavy hydrocarbon material comprises coal tar pitch.
15. The heavy hydrocarbon material of claim 10 , wherein the dihydric alcohol comprises ethylene glycol.
16. The heavy hydrocarbon material of claim 10 , wherein the dihydric alcohol comprises diethylene glycol.
17. The heavy hydrocarbon material of claim 10 , wherein the dihydric alcohol comprises tri-ethylene glycol.
18. The heavy hydrocarbon material of claim 10 , wherein the dihydric alcohol comprises a mixture of at least two of ethylene glycol, diethylene glycol, and tri-ethylene glycol.
19. A method of reducing carcinogenicity of a starter pitch comprising
(i) a distillable carcinogenic pitch fraction and
(ii) a higher boiling, or nondistillable, pitch fraction having a softening point of about 100° C. having a reduced carcinogen level and an unacceptably high viscosity and/or softening point, comprising:
(a) distilling from the starter pitch at least a portion of the distillable carcinogenic pitch fraction to produce a reduced carcinogen pitch fraction with an unacceptably high molten viscosity; and
(b) reducing the viscosity of the reduced carcinogen pitch fraction by dissolving therein a viscosity reducing amount of from about 0.5 to about 5 wt % of at least one dihydric alcohol to produce as a product a low carcinogen pitch product having an acceptable molten viscosity.
20. The method of claim 19 , wherein the starter pitch comprises petroleum pitch.
21. The method of claim 19 , wherein the starter pitch comprises coal tar pitch.
22. The method of claim 19 , wherein the dihydric alcohol comprises ethylene glycol.
23. The method of claim 19 , wherein the dihydric alcohol comprises diethylene glycol.
24. The method of claim 19 , wherein the dihydric alcohol comprises tri-ethylene glycol.
25. A carbon structure impregnated with the hydrocarbon of claim 10 .
26. The carbon structure of claim 25 used as an electrode.