A method of forming high molecular weight (HMW) coal tar can include combining supercritical carbon dioxide (sCO.sub.2) and an amount of coal tar, and fractionating the amount of coal tar to form the HMW coal tar. The method can further include forming the amount of coal tar from coal. Forming the amount of coal tar from coal can include extracting the coal tar from an amount of coal using sCO.sub.2.

A method is disclosed for the retrieval and recovery of organic-based or organic-containing materials, including naturally occurring substances such as crude oil, and other petroleum-based or containing materials, natural gas, and the like, from environments where they are entrained within or otherwise admixed or complexed with other organic or inorganic materials, such as rock, sand, shale and the like. The method comprises: retrieving a quantity of the petroleum-containing mixture, treating the petroleum-containing mixture with a solvent for the petroleum material to separate the petroleum material from the mixture, and recovering the separated petroleum-containing material. The solvent may be at approximately ambient temperature and may be, for instance, heptane, hexane, naphtha, kerosene, gasoline or a petroleum based solvent or any other suitable solvent in which the asphalt binder is soluble.

A method is disclosed for the retrieval and recovery of organic-based or organic-containing materials, including naturally occurring substances such as crude oil, and other petroleum-based or containing materials, natural gas, and the like, from environments where they are entrained within or otherwise admixed or complexed with other organic or inorganic materials, such as rock, sand, shale and the like. The method comprises: retrieving a quantity of the petroleum-containing mixture, treating the petroleum-containing mixture with a solvent for the petroleum material to separate the petroleum material from the mixture, and recovering the separated petroleum-containing material. The solvent may be at approximately ambient temperature and may be, for instance, heptane, hexane, naphtha, kerosene, gasoline or a petroleum based solvent or any other suitable solvent in which the asphalt binder is soluble.

The present invention relates to a method for purifying a tar containing gas stream. The method comprises the steps of: a) contacting a tar containing gas stream with a washing liquid in a washing unit to obtain a tar containing washing liquid and a purified gas stream; b) adding an extractant to the tar containing washing liquid to obtain an extraction liquid comprising a tar containing extractant and a regenerated washing liquid; c) cooling the extraction liquid; d) after cooling, separating the tar containing extractant from the regenerated washing liquid, and e) recirculating the regenerated washing liquid to the washing unit.

The present invention relates to a method for purifying a tar containing gas stream. The method comprises the steps of: a) contacting a tar containing gas stream with a washing liquid in a washing unit to obtain a tar containing washing liquid and a purified gas stream; b) adding an extractant to the tar containing washing liquid to obtain an extraction liquid comprising a tar containing extractant and a regenerated washing liquid; c) cooling the extraction liquid; d) after cooling, separating the tar containing extractant from the regenerated washing liquid, and e) recirculating the regenerated washing liquid to the washing unit.

A method is disclosed for the retrieval and recovery of organic-based or organic-containing materials, including naturally occurring substances such as crude oil, and other petroleum-based or containing materials, natural gas, and the like, from environments where they are entrained within or otherwise admixed or complexed with other organic or inorganic materials, such as rock, sand, shale and the like. The method comprises: (a) retrieving a quantity of the petroleum-containing mixture, (b) treating the petroleum-containing mixture with a solvent for the petroleum material to separate the petroleum material from the mixture and (c) recovering the petroleum-containing material separated in step (b).
The method also includes the reclamation or recycling of asphalt or asphalt components to produce reusable asphalt or asphalt components featuring (a) providing crushed asphalt or asphalt components, and (b) adding the asphalt or asphalt components to a solvent in which the asphalt binder is soluble. The solvent may be at approximately ambient temperature and may be, for instance, heptane, hexane, naphtha, kerosene, gasoline or a petroleum based solvent or any other suitable solvent in which the asphalt binder is soluble.

A method is disclosed for the retrieval and recovery of organic-based or organic-containing materials, including naturally occurring substances such as crude oil, and other petroleum-based or containing materials, natural gas, and the like, from environments where they are entrained within or otherwise admixed or complexed with other organic or inorganic materials, such as rock, sand, shale and the like. The method comprises: (a) retrieving a quantity of the petroleum-containing mixture, (b) treating the petroleum-containing mixture with a solvent for the petroleum material to separate the petroleum material from the mixture and (c) recovering the petroleum-containing material separated in step (b).
The method also includes the reclamation or recycling of asphalt or asphalt components to produce reusable asphalt or asphalt components featuring (a) providing crushed asphalt or asphalt components, and (b) adding the asphalt or asphalt components to a solvent in which the asphalt binder is soluble. The solvent may be at approximately ambient temperature and may be, for instance, heptane, hexane, naphtha, kerosene, gasoline or a petroleum based solvent or any other suitable solvent in which the asphalt binder is soluble.

A process for producing mesophase pitch from high-temperature coal tar comprises: removing salts and quinoline insoluble fraction from a high-temperature coal tar to obtain a decant oil; using the decant oil as a hydrogenation feedstock, or pre-distilling the decant oil to obtain a residue with a boiling point higher than 230 and formulating the residue into a hydrogenation feedstock; catalytic hydrorefining the hydrogenation feedstock to obtain a hydrofined oil; distilling the hydrofined oil to obtain hydrogenated pitch; and subjecting the hydrogenated pitch to the thermal polymerization to obtain the mesophase pitch. The process has features such as an easily controllable degree of hydrogenation, complete removal of impurities, good raw material flowability, not tending to form the carbon deposition and the coking during the process, and not tending to jam the reactor. The product has a high content of mesophase pitch, a low softening point and a low impurity content.

A process for producing mesophase pitch from high-temperature coal tar comprises: removing salts and quinoline insoluble fraction from a high-temperature coal tar to obtain a decant oil; using the decant oil as a hydrogenation feedstock, or pre-distilling the decant oil to obtain a residue with a boiling point higher than 230 and formulating the residue into a hydrogenation feedstock; catalytic hydrorefining the hydrogenation feedstock to obtain a hydrofined oil; distilling the hydrofined oil to obtain hydrogenated pitch; and subjecting the hydrogenated pitch to the thermal polymerization to obtain the mesophase pitch. The process has features such as an easily controllable degree of hydrogenation, complete removal of impurities, good raw material flowability, not tending to form the carbon deposition and the coking during the process, and not tending to jam the reactor. The product has a high content of mesophase pitch, a low softening point and a low impurity content.

Embodiments of methods for improving mesophase pitch for carbon fiber production using supercritical carbon dioxide are described. The methods improve the relative amount and quality of mesophase pitch in feedstocks, such as coal tar, already having at least some mesophase pitch. One particular method includes performing a sCO2/toluene extraction on the coal tar to obtain a toluene insoluble fraction of the coal tar; mixing the toluene insoluble fraction with sCO2 to obtain a sCO2/toluene insoluble fraction mixture; and extruding the sCO2/toluene insoluble fraction mixture, thereby separating the sCO2 from the toluene insoluble fraction to obtain fibers of mesophase pitch.