The present invention provides pitch for manufacturing carbon materials, the pitch having a high fixed carbon content and low viscosity and being obtained by using a petroleum-based heavy oil as a material. Pitch is produced by a method comprising: a step for preparing a material oil containing a petroleum-based heavy oil and an indene compound represented by general formula (1) (step 1); a step for thermally treating the material oil (step 2); and a step for distilling the thermally treated product and obtaining pitch as a high-boiling-point component (step 3). (In general formula (1), Ar represents an aromatic ring having 1 to 3 rings; R.sub.1 to R.sub.4 each independently represent a hydrogen atom, an alkyl group having 1 to 3 carbon atoms or an alkenyl group having 2 to 3 carbon atoms; R.sub.5 represents an alkyl group having 1 to 3 carbon atoms or an alkenyl group having 2 to 3 carbon atoms; m represents an integer from 1 to 3; n represents an integer from 0 to 4 (when the number of rings of Ar is 1), an integer from 0 to 6 (when the number of rings of Ar is 2), or an integer from 0 to 8 (when the number of rings of Ar is 3); adjacent R.sub.5s may be bonded together to form an alicyclic ring; and a hydrogen atom is bonded to Ar which is not substituted by R.sub.5.)

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.

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.

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.

A method of preparing non-volatile bituminous material in solid form includes first accessing molds having mold cavities defining an irregularly shaped brick having a plurality of non-planar surfaces and preparing the bituminous material for casting by heating it until it is suitably viscous for casting and optionally blending it with an additive. Then, the molds can be filled with the bituminous materials, preferably using a retractable conduit that progressively fills each mold cavity from its bottom to its top. Next, the bituminous material in the molds is solidified until substantially solid bricks are formed. Optionally, a skeleton with optional additional buoyant features can be placed in each mold cavity prior to casting so that the resulting brick has increased buoyancy throughout, and the skeleton and any buoyant features can be customized according to the needs of the customer. The resulting bricks can be removed for transport.

A process for producing isotropic and mesophase pitch with reduced solids contamination from aromatic liquids contaminated with solids, such as catalyst fines or semi-coke. Contaminated feed is charged through one or more pitch forming reactors which discharge a pitch rich liquid and a vapor phase with reduced solids contamination. The vapor phase is cooled, condensed and may be charged continuously to another pitch forming reactor in parallel or used intermittently as a total or partial replacement for solids contaminated feed.

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.

Apparatuses to remove entrapped air and debris from bitumen are provided. The apparatuses include a tank comprising a first and second compartment with a separating surface therebetween. Bitumen froth can be received in the first compartment and can flow from the first compartment to the second compartment via the separating surface along a first portion of the flow path. The debris is separated from the bitumen in the first compartment and eliminated through a disposal aperture to form intermediate bitumen. The intermediate bitumen then travels along a second portion of the flow path to the second compartment where it is heated to allow entrapped air to escape and form processed bitumen, prior to exiting from the apparatus. The apparatus is particularly suitable for removing entrapped air and debris from bitumen mined from bituminous sands. Related processes for operating the apparatuses are also provided.

There is provided a process and system for producing carbon fiber products. The process can involve deasphalting a heavy hydrocarbon feedstock, which can contain native asphaltenes, to produce a solid asphaltene particulate material, which can be further treated to produce the carbon fiber products. In some implementations, the solid asphaltene particulate material can be extruded in the presence of a polymer. In some implementations, the solid asphaltene particulate material can be chemically treated with a chemical agent including a Lewis acid, an oxidizing agent and/or a reducing agent before extrusion. In some implementations, the process can further produce activated carbon fibers.

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.