A method of producing at least one or more resins is disclosed. The method includes providing an amount of raw coal. The raw coal includes one or more impurities therein. The method also includes beneficiating the amount of raw coal to selectively removing at least a portion of some of the one or more impurities in the raw coal to form beneficiated coal. Additionally, the method includes processing the beneficiated coal to produce an amount of pitch. The method further includes modifying at least some of the pitch to produce the one or more resins. The one or more resins include a selected amount of a remainder of the one or more impurities that were not removed while beneficiating the amount of the raw coal, processing the beneficiated coal, and modifying at least some of the pitch.

Apparatus and method for recycling asphalt millings containing bitumen and stone. A milling tube is provided having an outer tube and an inner tube axially aligned with and substantially contained within the outer tube, the inner tube having a diameter less that a diameter of the outer tube to thus define a mixing space between the inner and outer tubes. At least one of the inner and outer tubes is adapted to rotate relative to the other. An inlet is provided to the mixing space to receive the asphalt millings. A plurality of inner tube projections project radially outward from a surface of the inner tube toward the outer tube, and a plurality of outer tube projections project radially inward from a surface of the outer tube toward the inner tube. The milling tube facilitates the separation of the asphalt millings into bitumen and stone as one of the inner and outer tubes rotates relative to the other. Preferably, at least one of the outer and inner tubes contains an abrasive coating on a surface thereof, the inner tube projections and outer tube projections are comprised of wire rope, and an inlet is provided in the outer tube through which cold air can be applied to the mixing space.

A method of producing advanced carbon materials can include providing coal to a processing facility, beneficiating the coal to remove impurities from the coal, processing the beneficiated coal to produce a pitch, and treating the pitch to produce an advanced carbon material such as carbon fibers, carbon nanotubes, graphene, carbon fibers, polymers, biomaterials, or other carbon materials.

A method of producing advanced carbon materials can include providing coal to a processing facility, beneficiating the coal to remove impurities from the coal, processing the beneficiated coal to produce a pitch, and treating the pitch to produce an advanced carbon material such as carbon fibers, carbon nanotubes, graphene, carbon fibers, polymers, biomaterials, or other carbon materials.

Method and apparatus to facilitate recycling of at least one fraction of bitumen-containing materials. This can be accomplished by dissolving the at least one fraction, for example, maltenes or asphaltenes in roofing shingles, into at least one solvent. In one aspect, the apparatus comprises a dissolution vessel, a tumbler positioned therein, and at least one solvent distributor. The tumbler is configured to facilitate wetting the bitumen-containing materials with solvent. In a second aspect, a system comprises the apparatus, a solid-liquid separator, for example, a vibratory screen, and at least one solvent-fraction separator, for example, a flash drum. The at least one solvent can comprise one or more solvents useful to extract the at least one fraction. In a third aspect, a first fraction is extracted from the bitumen-containing materials with a first solvent composition, then a second fraction is extracted from the remaining bitumen-containing materials with a second solvent composition.

Apparatus, processes, and systems for removal of solids from a hydrocarbon stream. The present disclosure utilizes a surfactant to reduce interfacial tension between a hydrocarbon phase and a water (or aqueous) phase to promote solids to be pulled by gravity out of the hydrocarbon phase and into the water phase.

Methods are provided to prepare a low sulfur fuel from hydrocarbon sources, such as light tight oil and high sulfur fuel oil, often less desired by conventional refiners, who split crude into a wide range of differing products and may prefer presence of wide ranges (C3 or C5 to C20 or higher) of hydrocarbons. These fuels can be produced by separating feeds into untreated and treated streams, and then recombining them. Such fuels can also be formulated by combinations of light, middle and heavy range constituents in a selected manner as claimed. Not only low in sulfur, the fuels of this invention are also low in nitrogen and essentially metals free. Fuel use applications include on-board large marine transport vessels but also on-shore for large land based combustion gas turbines, boilers, fired heaters and transport vehicles and trains.

The invention provides methods for pelletizing bituminous liquids by inducing endogenous asphaltenes in the liquid to form a resilient external membrane on an aliquot of the bituminous liquid, optionally with simultaneous collection of light components that result from the process of inducing endogenous asphaltene formation.

The invention provides methods for pelletizing bituminous liquids by inducing endogenous asphaltenes in the liquid to form a resilient external membrane on an aliquot of the bituminous liquid, optionally with simultaneous collection of light components that result from the process of inducing endogenous asphaltene formation.

A polyvinyl chloride-asphaltene composite and a method of making the polyvinyl chloride-asphaltene composite is disclosed. The composite includes a polyvinyl chloride (PVC) polymer in an amount of 90 to 99.5 wt.%, based on a total weight of the polyvinyl chloride-asphaltene composite, and a filler in an amount of 10 wt.% or less, based on a total weight of the polyvinyl chloride-asphaltene composite. The filler is an asphaltene, the asphaltene is the only filler present, and the asphaltene is uniformly dispersed within a matrix of the PVC polymer. The polyvinyl chloride-asphaltene composite of the present disclosure demonstrates enhanced thermal stability and improved mechanical tensile or thermo-mechanical properties.