Embodiments provide a method and apparatus for upgrading a hydrocarbon feedstock. According to at least one embodiment, the method includes (a) supplying a hydrocarbon feedstock to an oxidation reactor, where the hydrocarbon feedstock is oxidized in the presence of a catalyst under conditions sufficient to selectively oxidize sulfur compounds present in the hydrocarbon feedstock; (b) separating the hydrocarbons and the oxidized sulfur compounds by solvent extraction; (c) collecting a residue stream that includes the oxidized sulfur compounds; (d) supplying the residue stream to a coker to produce coker gases and solid coke; and (e) supplying spent adsorbent including residual oils from the adsorption column to the coker for disposing the spent adsorbent after completion of an adsorption cycle.

Embodiments provide a method and apparatus for upgrading a hydrocarbon feedstock. According to at least one embodiment, the method includes (a) supplying a hydrocarbon feedstock to an oxidation reactor, where the hydrocarbon feedstock is oxidized in the presence of a catalyst under conditions sufficient to selectively oxidize sulfur compounds present in the hydrocarbon feedstock; (b) separating the hydrocarbons and the oxidized sulfur compounds by solvent extraction; (c) collecting a residue stream that includes the oxidized sulfur compounds; (d) supplying the residue stream to a coker to produce coker gases and solid coke; and (e) recycling at least a portion of the volatile component stream to the oxidation reactor to selectively oxidize sulfur compounds in the volatile component stream, the recycled portion of the volatile component stream comprising at least one of light coker gas oils and heavy coker gas oils.

A process for the treatment of a hydrocracking unit bottoms stream containing heavy poly-nuclear aromatic (HPNA) compounds and/or a fresh hydrocracking feedstock stream containing HPNA precursors to produce coke. The HPNA and/or HPNA precursors are removed from the hydrocracking unit bottoms stream and/or a fresh hydrocracking feedstock stream by solvent washing, and the HPNA and/or HPNA precursors are subjected to delayed coking for the production of coke.

Coal blends used to produce foundry coke products are disclosed herein. Coal blends can include first coals having a first volatile matter mass fraction less than or equal to a first threshold, and second coals having a second volatile mass fraction greater than or equal to a second threshold that is less than the second threshold. The coal blend can have an ash fusion temperature less than 2600? F. and an aggregated volatile matter mass fraction between 15% and 25%.

Coal blends used to produce foundry coke products are disclosed herein. Coal blends can include first coals having a first volatile matter mass fraction less than or equal to a first threshold, and second coals having a second volatile mass fraction greater than or equal to a second threshold that is less than the second threshold. The coal blend can have an ash fusion temperature less than 2600? F. and an aggregated volatile matter mass fraction between 15% and 25%.

A method of estimating a surface tension of coal inert material includes determining in advance a first relational expression representing a relationship between a surface tension of coal inert material and a physical property value representing a coal rank; and measuring the physical property value representing the coal rank of a coal for which the surface tension of coal inert material is to be estimated, and calculating the surface tension of the coal inert material by using the measured physical property value representing the coal rank and the first relational expression.

A method of estimating a surface tension of coal inert material includes determining in advance a first relational expression representing a relationship between a surface tension of coal inert material and a physical property value representing a coal rank; and measuring the physical property value representing the coal rank of a coal for which the surface tension of coal inert material is to be estimated, and calculating the surface tension of the coal inert material by using the measured physical property value representing the coal rank and the first relational expression.

Embodiments of a process for producing high grade coke from crude oil residue include at least partially separating, in a solvent extraction unit, the crude oil residue into a deasphalted oil (DAO)-containing stream and an asphaltene containing-stream, producing a pressurized, heated DAO-containing stream, where the pressurized, heated DAO-containing stream, mixing a supercritical water stream with the pressurized, heated DAO-containing stream to create a combined feed stream, introducing the combined feed stream to an upgrading reactor system operating at supercritical temperature and pressure to yield one or more upgrading reactor output streams comprising upgraded product and a slurry mixture, where the slurry mixture comprises sulfur and one or more additional metals. The process also may include calcining the slurry mixture at a temperature of from 700 C. to 1900 C. to produce a product stream comprising the high grade coke.

A delayed coking process in which shot coke and thermally cracked coker products are produced from a sponge coke- and/or transition coke-forming resid feed comprising sponge coke asphaltenes by mixing heteroatom (preferably nitrogen) containing asphaltenes from a shot coke-forming resid with a heated sponge coke-forming resid to form shot coke directing asphaltene aggregates in the resid. The mixture of resid with the added asphaltene is held at an elevated temperature to allow co-aggregates of sponge coke and shot coke asphaltenes to form which, upon delayed coking promote the production of a free-flowing shot coke product.

A delayed coking process in which shot coke and thermally cracked coker products are produced from a sponge coke- and/or transition coke-forming resid feed comprising sponge coke asphaltenes by mixing heteroatom (preferably nitrogen) containing asphaltenes from a shot coke-forming resid with a heated sponge coke-forming resid to form shot coke directing asphaltene aggregates in the resid. The mixture of resid with the added asphaltene is held at an elevated temperature to allow co-aggregates of sponge coke and shot coke asphaltenes to form which, upon delayed coking promote the production of a free-flowing shot coke product.