An apparatus for converting heavy hydrocarbons to light hydrocarbons includes an inlet capable of supplying a pre-foaming mixture comprising a hydrocarbon to be processed and a processing gas, wherein the processing gas is dissolved in the hydrocarbon to be processed; a foam generator configured to receive the pre-foaming mixture at a first pressure, compress the pre-foaming mixture to a second pressure that is higher than the first pressure by routing it through a nozzle; and generate a foam by allowing the pre-foaming mixture at the second pressure to expand in a chamber at a third pressure that is lower than the first or second pressures; a plasma reactor, wherein the plasma reactor is capable of receiving the foam and comprises at least one pair of spark gap electrodes capable of subjecting the foam to a plasma discharge to yield a processed mixture; and an outlet capable of receiving the processed mixture.

The present disclosure relates to hydrocarbon pyrolysis of advantaged feeds. The advantaged feeds can comprise hydrocarbon, at least one halogen-containing composition, and at least one metal-containing composition, where the halogen-containing composition and the metal-containing composition are substantially different compositions. The disclosure encompasses steam cracking of advanced feeds comprising hydrocarbon and one or more of chloride-containing compositions, nickel-containing compositions, and vanadium-containing compositions.

The disclosure relates to a process for converting lignin (10) to renewable product (80), wherein the process comprises the following steps; mixing (100) lignin (10) with aqueous solution (20) to obtain a mixture (30); heating (110) the mixture (30) of step (a) to a temperature between 290 and 350° C., under a pressure from 70 to 165 bar, to obtain a first product mix (40); separating aqueous phase (53) and oil phase (50), and optionally gas (51) and solids (52), of the first product mix (40) of step (b); and heating (130) the oil phase (50) of step (c) and solvent (60) to obtain a second product mix (70). The second product mix (70) can be used as such, it can be directed to separation (140) or it can be upgraded. The obtained liquid renewable product is suitable as chemicals, fuel, fuel components or feedstock for fuel production.

The present disclosure relates to the thermal liquefaction of lignin, and more particularly to lignin solvolysis of a lignin feedstock chosen based on its molecular weight. The process comprises subjecting a feed mixture (30) of lignin feedstock (10) and solvent (20) to a thermal liquefaction step by heating (110) the feed mixture (30) at a temperature between 360 and 420 ° C., separating (120) a liquid product mix (50) from a product mix (40); and recirculating at least part of said liquid product mix (50) as an oil fraction of said solvent (20).

The present disclosure relates to a process for converting a combined feedstock to renewable liquid product(s), wherein the ash content of the combined feedstock of lignin feedstock and a second renewable feedstock is low. The combined feedstock is mixed with solvent, followed by solvolysis to obtain a product mix. At least part of the product mix is recirculated as the oil fraction of said solvent. The present disclosure further concerns the use of the product mix as a renewable product or use of hydroprocessed oil obtained by the process.

Provided is a system to upgrade an input stream of a straight run vacuum residue or a cracked feedstock that includes a vacuum column, a hydrocracking unit, a high lift solvent deasphalting unit, a low lift solvent deasphalting unit, and a bitumen blowing unit or a pitch pelletizing unit, and optionally a hydrotreating reactor. The system and components thereof may pass a distillate and naphtha product, a light ends product, an asphaltene-lean heavy deasphalted oil stream, an asphaltene-rich pitch stream, a light deasphalted oil that is a lube base feed stock, a heavy oil stream, a bitumen and asphalt stream or a solid fuel. Further provided is a process, including introducing a straight run vacuum residue or a cracked feed stock into a system, and operating the system including a step of fractionating, a step of solvent stage deasphalting, and a step of hydrocracking.

Provided is a system to upgrade an input stream of a straight run vacuum residue or a cracked feedstock that includes a vacuum column, a hydrocracking unit, a high lift solvent deasphalting unit, a low lift solvent deasphalting unit, and a bitumen blowing unit or a pitch pelletizing unit, and optionally a hydrotreating reactor. The system and components thereof may pass a distillate and naphtha product, a light ends product, an asphaltene-lean heavy deasphalted oil stream, an asphaltene-rich pitch stream, a light deasphalted oil that is a lube base feed stock, a heavy oil stream, a bitumen and asphalt stream or a solid fuel. Further provided is a process, including introducing a straight run vacuum residue or a cracked feed stock into a system, and operating the system including a step of fractionating, a step of solvent stage deasphalting, and a step of hydrocracking.

Disclosed herein are embodiments of a method for making jet fuel blendstocks that comprise partially hydrogenated carbocyclic compounds and which can be used to replace aromatic-containing fuels and that exhibit suitable seal swell properties. The disclosed method embodiments utilize catalysts and reaction conditions that facilitate partially hydrogenating carbocyclic compounds present in mixtures obtained from renewable sources, such as bio-based fermentation products. The reaction product mixtures obtained from the disclosed method can be blended with blendstocks to provide fuels that avoid soot formation caused by aromatic-containing fuels and that exhibit seal swelling that meet requirements in aviation systems.

The invention relates to a process for converting a hydrocarbon-containing feedstock containing at least one hydrocarbon fraction having a sulphur content of at least 0.1% by weight, an initial boiling temperature of at least 340° C. and a final boiling temperature of at least 440° C., making it possible to obtain a heavy fraction having a sediment content after ageing of less than or equal to 0.1% by weight, said process comprising the following stages: a) a stage of hydrocracking the feedstock in the presence of hydrogen in at least one reactor containing a supported catalyst in an ebullating bed, b) a stage of separating the effluent obtained at the end of stage a), c) a stage of maturation of the heavy fraction originating from the separation stage b), d) a stage of separating the sediments from the heavy fraction originating from the maturation stage c) to obtain said heavy fraction.

A process for converting heavy petroleum feedstocks to produce fuel oils and fuel-oil bases with a low sediment content comprises: a) fixed-bed hydrotreatment, b) optional separation of the effluent originating from the hydrotreatment stage a), c) hydrocracking of at least a part of the effluent from a) or of at least a part of the heavy fraction originating from b), d) separation of the effluent originating from c), e) maturation of the heavy liquid fraction originating from the separation d), and f) separation of the sediments from the heavy liquid fraction originating from the maturation e).