A method for recycling or processing asphalt waste held in a vessel that extracts oil from the waste and cleans the remaining solids includes the steps of adding a reaction solvent into the vessel and into contact with the asphalt waste, adding a bioremediation product into the vessel, adding a quantity of water into the vessel sufficient to effectively stop activity of the bioremediation product, and then removing any oil present in the water from the water. The resulting free oil collected from the process is similar to No. 4 fuel oil.

A method for recycling or processing asphalt waste held in a vessel that extracts oil from the waste and cleans the remaining solids includes the steps of adding a reaction solvent into the vessel and into contact with the asphalt waste, adding a bioremediation product into the vessel, adding a quantity of water into the vessel sufficient to effectively stop activity of the bioremediation product, and then removing any oil present in the water from the water. The resulting free oil collected from the process is similar to No. 4 fuel oil.

Methods are provided for reducing or minimizing the temperature dependence of a pitch feed or fraction for use in carbon fiber production, such as a mesophase pitch feed or fraction or an isotropic pitch feed or fraction. A pitch sample can be characterized to determine a characteristic temperature and a characteristic viscosity for the sample. One or more solvent extraction processes can also be performed on the pitch and/or the extract and raffinate fractions formed by the solvent extraction(s). The resulting raffinate and extract fractions are then used to form a modified pitch fraction with a T.sub.0 value that is lower than the T.sub.0 value of the original pitch. The modified pitch fraction can optionally also have a different .sub.inf value relative to the original pitch.

Methods are provided for reducing or minimizing the temperature dependence of a pitch feed or fraction for use in carbon fiber production, such as a mesophase pitch feed or fraction or an isotropic pitch feed or fraction. A pitch sample can be characterized to determine a characteristic temperature and a characteristic viscosity for the sample. One or more solvent extraction processes can also be performed on the pitch and/or the extract and raffinate fractions formed by the solvent extraction(s). The resulting raffinate and extract fractions are then used to form a modified pitch fraction with a T.sub.0 value that is lower than the T.sub.0 value of the original pitch. The modified pitch fraction can optionally also have a different .sub.inf value relative to the original pitch.

A method and apparatus are provided for processing hydrocarbon coal slurry feeds. The method and apparatus enhance the conversion of the coal feeds into useful conversion products, such as high melting and high carbon containing pitch products. In particular, the present techniques utilize a specially designed self-cleaning and wall-catalyzed preheater-reactor systems.

A method and apparatus are provided for processing hydrocarbon coal slurry feeds. The method and apparatus enhance the conversion of the coal feeds into useful conversion products, such as high melting and high carbon containing pitch products. In particular, the present techniques utilize a specially designed self-cleaning and wall-catalyzed preheater-reactor systems.

Processes are described for producing mesophase pitch. The processes generally comprise providing a feedstock having a T5 400 F. (204 C.) and a T95 1,400 F. (760 C.) and heating the feedstock at a temperature ranging from about 420 C. to about 520 C. to produce a heat treated product including isotropic pitch. Generally, the heating is conducted under conditions sufficient to satisfy the relationship [X*Y]20,000 seconds, wherein X is the equivalent reaction time of the heating, and wherein Y is the bromine number of the feedstock as measured in accordance with ASTM D1159. The processes generally further comprise contacting the isotropic pitch with a solvent having a Solubility Blending number (S.sub.BN) of at least about 10 SU under conditions sufficient to produce a solvent fraction comprising the solvent and an insoluble fraction comprising mesophase pitch, and recovering the mesophase pitch.

Processes are described for producing mesophase pitch. The processes generally comprise providing a feedstock having a T5 400 F. (204 C.) and a T95 1,400 F. (760 C.) and heating the feedstock at a temperature ranging from about 420 C. to about 520 C. to produce a heat treated product including isotropic pitch. Generally, the heating is conducted under conditions sufficient to satisfy the relationship [X*Y]20,000 seconds, wherein X is the equivalent reaction time of the heating, and wherein Y is the bromine number of the feedstock as measured in accordance with ASTM D1159. The processes generally further comprise contacting the isotropic pitch with a solvent having a Solubility Blending number (S.sub.BN) of at least about 10 SU under conditions sufficient to produce a solvent fraction comprising the solvent and an insoluble fraction comprising mesophase pitch, and recovering the mesophase pitch.

Systems and methods are provided for block operation during lubricant and/or fuels production from deasphalted oil. During block operation, a deasphalted oil and/or the hydroprocessed effluent from an initial processing stage can be split into a plurality of fractions. The fractions can correspond, for example, to feed fractions suitable for forming a light neutral fraction, a heavy neutral fraction, and a bright stock fraction, or the plurality of fractions can correspond to any other convenient split into separate fractions. The plurality of separate fractions can then be processed separately in the process train (or in the sweet portion of the process train) for forming fuels and/or lubricant base stocks. This can allow for formation of unexpected base stock compositions.

Systems and methods are provided for block operation during lubricant and/or fuels production from deasphalted oil. During block operation, a deasphalted oil and/or the hydroprocessed effluent from an initial processing stage can be split into a plurality of fractions. The fractions can correspond, for example, to feed fractions suitable for forming a light neutral fraction, a heavy neutral fraction, and a bright stock fraction, or the plurality of fractions can correspond to any other convenient split into separate fractions. The plurality of separate fractions can then be processed separately in the process train (or in the sweet portion of the process train) for forming fuels and/or lubricant base stocks. This can allow for formation of unexpected base stock compositions.