Upgrading challenged feeds and pitches produced therefrom

Abstract

A method for producing pitch can include: hydroprocessing a challenged feed from a refinery operation to produce a hydroprocessed product; distilling the hydroprocessed product to yield one or more upgraded fractions and a resid fraction; and solvent deasphalting the resid fraction to yield a deasphalted oil stream and a hydroprocessed pitch stream. The resultant pitch can have a micro carbon residue (MCR) of 50 wt % or greater, a solubility in toluene of 95 wt % or greater, and a softening point of 200° C. or less. The pitch can optionally be fluxed with a fluxing solvent.

1 . A method comprising:
 hydroprocessing a challenged feed from a refinery operation to produce a hydroprocessed product;   distilling the hydroprocessed product to yield one or more upgraded fractions and a resid fraction; and   solvent deasphalting the resid fraction to yield a deasphalted oil stream and a hydroprocessed pitch stream.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising:
 blending the challenged feed with a co-feed and/or hydroprocessing solvent before hydroprocessing. 
 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising:
 performing the hydroprocessing in the presence of hydrogen. 
 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein products consist of the one or more upgraded fractions, the deasphalted oil stream, and the hydroprocessed pitch stream, and wherein the pitch is 1 wt % to 35 wt % of the total product. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the pitch has a softening point of 50° C. to 200° C. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the pitch has a T10 distillation point of 800° F. (427° C.) to 1300° F. (704° C.). 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the pitch has a T50 distillation point of 1000° F. (538° C.) to 1500° F. (815° C.). 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the pitch has a micro carbon residue (MCR) of 50 wt % to 95 wt %. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the pitch has a solubility in toluene of 95 wt % to 100 wt %. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the pitch has comprises 0.1 wt % to 15 wt % saturated hydrocarbons, 0.1 wt % to 15 wt % ARC1, 0.1 wt % to 15 wt % ARC2, 1 wt % to 30 wt % ARC3, 10 wt % to 35 wt % ARC4+, 10 wt % to 30 wt % sulfides, 0.1 wt % to 20 wt % polar hydrocarbons, and 1 wt % to 65 wt % asphaltenes. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the pitch has a coking value of 45 wt % to 80 wt %. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising:
 blending the hydroprocessed pitch with a fluxing solvent to produce a fluxed pitch. 
 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the fluxing solvent comprises one selected from the group consisting of a paraffin solvent, xylenes, and any combination thereof. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the fluxed pitch has a pitch to fluxing solvent weight ratio of 10:90 to 90:10. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the fluxed pitch has a softening point of 50° C. to 150° C. 
     
     
         16 . A method comprising:
 solvent deasphalting fluid catalytic cracking (FCC) slurry oil into 2 wt % to 12 wt % rock and 88 wt % to 98 wt % deasphalted oil, wherein the rock has a softening point between 50° C. and 200° C. and a coking value between 50 wt % and 80 wt %.   
     
     
         17 . A method comprising:
 fluxing a challenged feed from a refinery operation with a weight ratio of the fluxing solvent to the challenged feed of 10:90 to 90:10 to produce a fluxed pitch having one or more properties selected from the group consisting of: a coking value of about 45 wt % to 80 wt %; a micro carbon residue (MCR) of 50 wt % to 90 wt %; a solubility in toluene of 80 wt % to 100 wt %; and a softening point of 50° C. to 150° C.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the fluxing solvent comprises one selected from the group consisting of a paraffin solvent, xylenes, and any combination thereof. 
     
     
         19 . A composition comprising:
 a pitch having a micro carbon residue (MCR) of 50 wt % or greater, a solubility in toluene of 95 wt % or greater, and a softening point of 200° C. or less.   
     
     
         20 . The composition of  claim 19 , wherein the pitch has a softening point of 50° C. to 120° C. 
     
     
         21 . The composition of  claim 19 , wherein the pitch has a T10 distillation point of 800° F. (427° C.) to 1300° F. (704° C.). 
     
     
         22 . The composition of  claim 19 , wherein the pitch has a T50 distillation point of 1000° F. (538° C.) to 1500° F. (815° C.). 
     
     
         23 . The composition of  claim 19 , wherein the pitch has comprises 0.1 wt % to 15 wt % saturated hydrocarbons, 0.1 wt % to 15 wt % ARC1, 0.1 wt % to 15 wt % ARC2, 1 wt % to 30 wt % ARC3, 10 wt % to 35 wt % ARC4+, 10 wt % to 30 wt % sulfides, 0.1 wt % to 20 wt % polar hydrocarbons, and 1 wt % to 65 wt % asphaltenes. 
     
     
         24 . A fluxed pitch comprising:
 a pitch having a micro carbon residue (MCR) of 50 wt % or greater, a solubility in toluene of 95 wt % or greater, and a softening point of 200° C. or less; and   a fluxing solvent, wherein the fluxed pitch has a pitch to fluxing solvent weight ratio of 10:90 to 90:10.