Hydrocarbon Viscosity Reduction Method

Abstract

In accordance with particular descriptions provided herein, certain embodiments of the inventive technology may be described as a hydrocarbon viscosity reduction method that comprises the steps of: treating a hydrocarbon having asphaltenes therein to generate a treated hydrocarbon, wherein said hydrocarbon has a first viscosity; contacting said treated hydrocarbon with a sorbent (whether as a result of pouring or other means); and adsorbing at least a portion of said asphaltenes onto said sorbent, thereby removing said at least a portion of said asphaltenes from said hydrocarbon so as to generate a viscosity reduced hydrocarbon having a second viscosity that is lower than said first viscosity.

1 - 98 . (canceled) 
     
     
         99 . A method of monitoring the efficiency of sorbent based asphaltene removal, said method comprising the steps of:
 providing a vessel having a substantially chemically inert stationary phase established therein and having at least one vessel inlet, said substantially chemically inert stationary phase forming a fixed bed in said vessel;   inputting a precipitant solvent into said vessel through at least one vessel inlet;   inputting a hydrocarbonaceous material generated by said sorbent based asphaltene removal into said vessel through at least one vessel inlet;   intentionally precipitating asphaltenes within said vessel and in the presence of said substantially chemically inert stationary phase, wherein said substantially chemically inert stationary phase is substantially chemically inert relative to said asphaltenes such that substantially all said precipitated asphaltenes do not adsorb onto said substantially chemically inert stationary phase;   generating a remnant liquid upon performing said step of intentionally precipitating said asphaltenes;   inputting a material dissolving solvent into said vessel through at least one vessel inlet; and   dissolving at least a portion of said asphaltenes with said material dissolving solvent to generate a dissolved material solution,   monitoring and controlling said sorbent based asphaltene removal.   
     
     
         100 . A method as described in  claim 99  wherein said step of inputting a hydrocarbonaceous material into said vessel through at least one vessel inlet comprises the step of inputting a hydrocarbon sample into said vessel. 
     
     
         101 - 106 . (canceled) 
     
     
         107 . A method as described in  claim 99  wherein said step of inputting a precipitant solvent into said vessel through at least one vessel inlet comprises the step of inputting into said vessel a precipitant solvent selected from the group consisting of low polarity solvents, low polarity solvent mixtures, aliphatic solvents, heptane, pentane and isooctane. 
     
     
         108 - 109 . (canceled) 
     
     
         110 . A method as described in claim  109  wherein said step of determining at least one characteristic of said sample comprises the step of using a technique selected from the group consisting of evaporative light scattering, mass spectrometry, optical absorbance, x-ray, conductivity, oxidation/reduction, refractive index, polarimetry, atomic spectroscopy, and fluorescence. 
     
     
         111 - 116 . (canceled) 
     
     
         117 . A method as described in  claim 99  wherein said step of inputting a material dissolving solvent comprises the step of inputting a material dissolving solvent selected from the group consisting of solvents having a higher polarity than that of said precipitant solvent, solvent mixtures having a higher polarity than that of said precipitant solvent, naphthenic oils, aromatic oils, ketones, halogenated solvents, cyclohexane, toluene, cyclohexanone, and methylene chloride. 
     
     
         118 - 122 . (canceled) 
     
     
         123 . A method as described in  claim 99  wherein said step of dissolving at least a portion of said asphaltenes with said material dissolving solvent comprises the step of dissolving only a first portion of said asphaltenes with said material dissolving solvent. 
     
     
         124 . A method as described in  claim 123  further comprising the step of inputting a second material dissolving solvent into said vessel through at least one vessel inlet to dissolve at least a second portion of said asphaltenes. 
     
     
         125 . A method as described in  claim 124  wherein said step of inputting a second material dissolving solvent into said vessel comprises the step of inputting a stronger material dissolving solvent. 
     
     
         126 . A method as described in  claim 125  wherein said step of inputting a stronger material dissolving solvent into said vessel comprises the step of inputting into said vessel solvent that gradually increases in strength. 
     
     
         127 - 142 . (canceled) 
     
     
         143 . A method as described in  claim 99  wherein said step of providing a vessel having a substantially chemically inert stationary phase established therein comprises the step of providing a vessel having established therein a stationary phase selected from the group of: oligomers of PTFE, polymers of PTFE, polyphenylene sulfide, fluorinated polymers, silicon polymer and PEEK. 
     
     
         144 - 152 . (canceled) 
     
     
         153 . A method as described in  claim 99  wherein said method is a method selected from the group consisting of coking onset estimation method, oil processing method; oil fractionating method, oil production method, pipeline fouling related method, hydrotreating, distillation method, vacuum distillation method, atmospheric distillation method, visbreaking method, blending method, asphalt formation method, asphalt extraction method, and asphaltene content of oil measurement method. 
     
     
         154 - 247 . (canceled) 
     
     
         248 . A method comprising the steps of:
 (a) precipitating an amount of asphaltenes from a liquid sample of a first hydrocarbon-containing feedstock having solvated asphaltenes therein with one or more first solvents in a column;   (b) determining one or more solubility characteristics of the precipitated asphaltenes;   (c) analyzing the one or more solubility characteristics of the precipitated asphaltenes; and   (d) monitoring sorbent based asphaltene removal.   
     
     
         249 . A method as described in  claim 248  wherein said sorbent based asphaltene removal effects an improved quality product oil. 
     
     
         250 . (canceled) 
     
     
         251 . A method as described in  claim 248  wherein said sorbent based asphaltene removal effects a product oil having a reduced fouling tendency. 
     
     
         252 - 273 . (canceled) 
     
     
         274 . The method of  claim 248 , further comprising the step of comparing a different sample of the same first hydrocarbon-containing feedstock sample with the first hydrocarbon-containing feedstock sample for quality control of the first hydrocarbon-containing feedstock sample. 
     
     
         275 - 279 . (canceled) 
     
     
         280 . A method for controlling sorbent based removal of asphaltenes from a hydrocarbon-containing material having solvated asphaltenes therein comprising the steps of:
 (a) precipitating an amount of the asphaltenes from a liquid sample of the hydrocarbon-containing material with an alkane mobile phase solvent in a column;   (b) dissolving a first amount and a second amount of the precipitated asphaltenes by changing the alkane mobile phase solvent to a final mobile phase solvent having a solubility parameter that is higher than the alkane mobile phase solvent;   (c) monitoring the amounts of eluted fractions from the column;   (d) creating a solubility profile of the dissolved asphaltenes in the hydrocarbon-containing material;   (e) determining one or more asphaltene stability parameters of the hydrocarbon-containing material; and   (f) monitoring sorbent based asphaltene removal.   
     
     
         281 . The method of  claim 280  wherein said step of monitoring the amounts comprises the step of monitoring concentrations. 
     
     
         282 . The method of  claim 280  wherein said sorbent based asphaltene removal effects an improved quality product oil. 
     
     
         283 - 292 . (canceled) 
     
     
         293 . The method of  claim 280  wherein the hydrocarbon-containing material comprises a substance selected from the group consisting of oil, crude oil, asphalt and a coal-derived product. 
     
     
         294 - 311 . (canceled) 
     
     
         312 . A product produced by a process that is based on analysis results generated, at least in part, upon performance of the method of  claim 280 .