We disclose a process for purification of hydrocarbons, suitable for a wide range of contexts such as refining bunker fuels to yield low-sulphur fuels, cleaning of waste engine oil (etc) to yield a usable hydrocarbon product, recovery of hydrocarbons from used tyres, recovery of hydrocarbons from thermoplastics etc, as well as the treatment of crude oils, shale oils, and the tailings remaining after fractionation and like processes. The method comprises the steps of heating the hydrocarbon thereby to release a gas phase, contacting the gas with an aqueous persulphate electrolyte within a reaction chamber, and condensing the gas to a liquid or a liquid/gas mixture and removing its aqueous component. It also comprises subjecting the reaction product to an electrical field generated by at least two opposing electrode plates between which the reaction product flows; this electrolytic step regenerates the persulphate electrolyte which can be recirculated within the process. The process is ideally applied in an environment at lower than atmospheric pressure, such as less than 1500 Pa. A wide range of hydrocarbons can be treated in this way. Used hydrocarbons such as engine oils and sulphur-contaminated fuels are prime examples, but there are a wide range of others such as hydrocarbons derived from the pyrolysis of a material having a hydrocarbon content. One such example is a mix of used rubber (such as end-of-life tyres) and used oils (such as engine oils, waste marine oils), which can be pyrolysed together to yield a hydrocarbon liquid which can be treated as above, and a residue that provides a useful solid fuel.

We disclose a process for purification of hydrocarbons, suitable for a wide range of contexts such as refining bunker fuels to yield low-sulphur fuels, cleaning of waste engine oil (etc) to yield a usable hydrocarbon product, recovery of hydrocarbons from used tyres, recovery of hydrocarbons from thermoplastics etc, as well as the treatment of crude oils, shale oils, and the tailings remaining after fractionation and like processes. The method comprises the steps of heating the hydrocarbon thereby to release a gas phase, contacting the gas with an aqueous persulphate electrolyte within a reaction chamber, and condensing the gas to a liquid or a liquid/gas mixture and removing its aqueous component. It also comprises subjecting the reaction product to an electrical field generated by at least two opposing electrode plates between which the reaction product flows; this electrolytic step regenerates the persulphate electrolyte which can be recirculated within the process. The process is ideally applied in an environment at lower than atmospheric pressure, such as less than 1500 Pa. A wide range of hydrocarbons can be treated in this way. Used hydrocarbons such as engine oils and sulphur-contaminated fuels are prime examples, but there are a wide range of others such as hydrocarbons derived from the pyrolysis of a material having a hydrocarbon content. One such example is a mix of used rubber (such as end-of-life tyres) and used oils (such as engine oils, waste marine oils), which can be pyrolysed together to yield a hydrocarbon liquid which can be treated as above, and a residue that provides a useful solid fuel.

The present invention relates to a process for converting the waste plastic along with the petroleum residue feedstock in a Delayed Coker unit employed in refineries. The invented process aims to convert any type of waste plastic including polystyrene, polypropylene, polyethylene etc. including metal additized multilayer plastics along with the petroleum residue material from crude oil refining such as reduced crude oil, vacuum residue etc. Value added light distillate products like motor spirit, LPG, middle distillates etc. are produced upon co-conversion in the invented process and is recovered and treated along with the products of thermal cracking of hydrocarbon residues. The residual metals in the metal additized plastics upon co-conversion in the invented process will be deposited in the solid petroleum coke.

The invention relates to a method for producing graphite materials as well as the use thereof in lithium ion batteries.

The invention relates to a method for producing graphite materials as well as the use thereof in lithium ion batteries.

The present invention is directed to a method, apparatus and system that are configured to process asphalt roofing shingles so that solid constituent components of such asphalt roofing shingles may be used in asphalt mixtures. The present invention may include pyrolysis of asphalt binder present in the asphalt roofing shingles in order to develop a layer of coke on the solid constituent components, so that the solid constituent components may be suitable for use in the asphalt mixtures in quantities of 5 to 30% by weight of the total weight of the asphalt mixtures. The present invention is also directed to the asphalt mixtures that include 5 to 30% by weight of the solid constituent components of the asphalt roofing shingles that have been processed in accordance with the method, apparatus and/or system of the present invention.

The present invention is directed to a method, apparatus and system that are configured to process asphalt roofing shingles so that solid constituent components of such asphalt roofing shingles may be used in asphalt mixtures. The present invention may include pyrolysis of asphalt binder present in the asphalt roofing shingles in order to develop a layer of coke on the solid constituent components, so that the solid constituent components may be suitable for use in the asphalt mixtures in quantities of 5 to 30% by weight of the total weight of the asphalt mixtures. The present invention is also directed to the asphalt mixtures that include 5 to 30% by weight of the solid constituent components of the asphalt roofing shingles that have been processed in accordance with the method, apparatus and/or system of the present invention.

The present subject matter describes a method and apparatus for operating a delayed coker. The method comprises contacting a vapour produced in a delayed coker-drum with a catalyst maintained in form of a bed, and maintaining a level of said catalyst-bed within pre-defined limits during catalytic-cracking of the vapour. Thereafter, the cracked-vapour is routed to a coker-fractionator column to trigger conversion into one or more hydrocarbon products.

The present subject matter describes a method and apparatus for operating a delayed coker. The method comprises contacting a vapour produced in a delayed coker-drum with a catalyst maintained in form of a bed, and maintaining a level of said catalyst-bed within pre-defined limits during catalytic-cracking of the vapour. Thereafter, the cracked-vapour is routed to a coker-fractionator column to trigger conversion into one or more hydrocarbon products.

A distillation apparatus for use in microwave-assisted pyrolysis includes a microwave, a pyrolysis reactor, a microwave-absorbent bed, and a condenser. The pyrolysis reactor is located within the microwave and configured to receive a liquid input stream and to output a vapor. The microwave-absorbent bed is located within the pyrolysis reactor that converts microwave energy provided by the microwave to thermal energy to initiate pyrolysis within the pyrolysis reactor, wherein the pyrolysis reactor provides a vapor output. The condenser is configured to receive the vapor output of the pyrolysis reactor and to cool and condense the vapor into a recoverable product.