Open AccessConversion of a deasphalting unit for use in the process of supercritical solvent recovery
Author(s) -
S. Waintraub,
C. Fonseca,
G. M.G. Soares,
Eugenio Campagnolo
Publication year - 2000
Publication title -
brazilian journal of chemical engineering/brazilian journal of chemical engineering
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.313
H-Index - 52
eISSN - 1678-4383
pISSN - 0104-6632
DOI - 10.1590/s0104-66322000000300012
Subject(s) - supercritical fluid , solvent , yield (engineering) , materials science , chemistry , chromatography , chemical engineering , organic chemistry , engineering , composite material
In order to reduce energy consumption and to increase deasphalted oil yield, an old PETROBRAS deasphalting unit was converted for use in the process of supercritical solvent recovery. In-plant and pilot tests were performed to determine the ideal solvent-to-oil ratio. The optimum conditions for separation of the supercritical solvent from the solvent-plus-oil liquid mixture were determined by experimental tests in PVT cells. These tests also allowed measurement of the dew and bubble points, determination of the retrograde region, observation of supercritical fluid compressibility and as a result construction of a phase equilibrium diagram