Implementations of the present disclosure relate to a method of operating a coker unit comprising the steps of: collecting a coker-furnace feed stream; introducing the coker-furnace feed-stream into a coker furnace for producing a coker-drum feed stream; and introducing a hydrogen-donor gas into either or both of the coker-furnace feed stream or the coker-drum feed stream.

A delayed coking furnace (100) for heating coker feedstock (101) is disclosed. The furnace (100) includes a first heating zone (102) adapted to provide heat to the coker feedstock (101) through a convective heat transfer and then a second heating zone (104) positioned below the first heating zone (102) and adapted to heat the coker feedstock (101) through radiative heat transfer, wherein the second heating zone (104) include a lower portion and an upper portion. Further, said furnace (100) includes a plurality of burners (106) located at the lower portion of the second heating zone (104) and at least one baffle (111) disposed in the upper portion of the second heating zone (104). Further, the present disclosure provides that the at least one baffle (111) is adapted to increase a convective heat transfer coefficient associated with a flue gas flowing from the second heating zone (104) to the first heating zone (102).

A delayed coking furnace (100) for heating coker feedstock (101) is disclosed. The furnace (100) includes a first heating zone (102) adapted to provide heat to the coker feedstock (101) through a convective heat transfer and then a second heating zone (104) positioned below the first heating zone (102) and adapted to heat the coker feedstock (101) through radiative heat transfer, wherein the second heating zone (104) include a lower portion and an upper portion. Further, said furnace (100) includes a plurality of burners (106) located at the lower portion of the second heating zone (104) and at least one baffle (111) disposed in the upper portion of the second heating zone (104). Further, the present disclosure provides that the at least one baffle (111) is adapted to increase a convective heat transfer coefficient associated with a flue gas flowing from the second heating zone (104) to the first heating zone (102).

Preparation methods of a high modulus carbon fiber (HMCF) and a precursor (mesophase pitch (MP)) thereof are provided. The preparation method of MP includes: separating components with a molecular weight distribution (MWD) of 400 to 1,000 from a heavy oil raw material through size-exclusion chromatography (SEC); subjecting the components to ion-exchange chromatography (IEC) to obtain modified feedstock oil, where, the components are passed through macroporous cation-exchange and anion-exchange resins in sequence to remove acidic and alkaline components; and subjecting the modified feedstock oil to thermal polycondensation and carbonization to obtain high-quality MP with prominent spinnability. With high mesophase content, low softening point, low viscosity, and prominent meltability and spinnability, the obtained MP is a high-quality raw material for preparing HMCFs. The obtained MP can be subjected to melt spinning, pre-oxidation, carbonization, and graphitization to obtain an MP-based HMCF.

A method of determining the identity of a petroleum coke sample including obtaining a nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) measurement of the sample, determining a relaxation decay value of a fluid in the sample from the NMR measurement, comparing the relaxation decay value to relaxation decay values of known petroleum coke materials in a reference group to determine whether the petroleum coke is one of the known materials.

A delayed coking process for producing high grade coke comprising: introducing a hydrocarbon feedstock comprising asphaltenes to at least one fractionator to produce at least a bottoms fraction, an intermediate fraction and a light naphtha fraction: passing the bottoms fraction to a delayed coker unit furnace for heating to a predetermined coking temperature; passing the heated bottoms fraction to a first delayed coker unit to produce a first coke product and a first effluent substantially free of asphaltenes and comprising resins; and passing the first effluent to a second delayed coker unit to produce a second coke product comprising the high grade coke.

A delayed coking process for producing high grade coke comprising: introducing a hydrocarbon feedstock comprising asphaltenes to at least one fractionator to produce at least a bottoms fraction, an intermediate fraction and a light naphtha fraction: passing the bottoms fraction to a delayed coker unit furnace for heating to a predetermined coking temperature; passing the heated bottoms fraction to a first delayed coker unit to produce a first coke product and a first effluent substantially free of asphaltenes and comprising resins; and passing the first effluent to a second delayed coker unit to produce a second coke product comprising the high grade coke.

A method for making a soft carbon includes providing a coke, and subjecting the coke to a carbonization process. The carbonization process includes a preliminary calcination treatment conducted by calcining the coke at a first temperature ranging from 800° C. to 1000° C. to obtain a pre-calcinated coke, followed by a main calcination treatment conducted by calcining the pre-calcinated coke at a second temperature ranging from 1000° C. to 1200° C., and/or a surface-modifying calcination treatment conducted by calcining the pre-calcinated coke in the presence of a carbonaceous material for modifying surfaces thereof at a third temperature ranging from 1000° C. to 1200° C. A soft carbon made by the method is also disclosed.

A feedstock is processed in a coking zone unit to produce at least light gases, coker naphtha, light coker gas oil and petroleum coke. Light coker gas oil, and in certain embodiments hydrotreated light coker gas oil, is subjected to deep hydrogenation to produce a deeply hydrogenated middle distillate fraction. All or a portion of the deeply hydrogenated middle distillate fraction is used as feed to a petrochemicals production complex to produce light olefins.

Systems and methods are provided for controlling the morphology of coke produced during delayed coking. The morphology control is achieved in part by introducing elemental sulfur into the coker feedstock prior to coking. The elemental sulfur can be introduced into the feed under conditions so that the sulfur is well-dispersed within the feed for a sufficient period of time. This can allow for relatively even reaction of sulfur with components throughout the feed, resulting in a relatively small, uniform domain size distribution for the coke produced during delayed coking. This coke can correspond to shot coke. By producing coke with a small and relatively uniform domain size distribution, the risk of uneven heating within the coke can be reduced or minimized.