Methods for separation of oxygenates or other chemical components from fuels using chemical processes and separations including, but not limited to, onboard applications in vehicles. These separations may take place using a variety of materials and substances whereby a target material of interest is captured, held, and then released at a desired location and under desired conditions. In one set of experiments we demonstrated an enhancement in the separation of diaromatics by >38 times over gasoline and aromatics by >3.5 times over gasoline. This would give an advantage to reducing cold-start emissions, or emissions during transient conditions, in either gasoline or diesel.

A system for upgrading heavy hydrocarbon feeds, such as crude oil, include a hydrotreating unit, a hydrotreated effluent separation system, a solvent-assisted adsorption system, and a hydrocracking unit. Processes for upgrading heavy hydrocarbon feeds include hydrotreating the hydrocarbon feed to produce a hydrotreated effluent that includes asphaltenes, separating the hydrotreated effluent into a lesser boiling hydrotreated effluent and a greater boiling hydrotreated effluent comprising the asphaltenes, combining the greater boiling hydrotreated effluent with a light paraffin solvent to produce a combined stream, adsorbing the asphaltenes from the combined stream to produce an adsorption effluent, and hydrocracking the lesser boiling hydrotreated effluent and at least a portion of the adsorption effluent to produce a hydrocracked effluent with hydrocarbons boiling less than 180° C. The systems and processes increase the hydrocarbon conversion and yield of hydrocarbons boiling less than 180° C.

A system for upgrading heavy hydrocarbon feeds, such as crude oil, include a hydrotreating unit, a hydrotreated effluent separation system, a solvent-assisted adsorption system, and a hydrocracking unit. Processes for upgrading heavy hydrocarbon feeds include hydrotreating the hydrocarbon feed to produce a hydrotreated effluent that includes asphaltenes, separating the hydrotreated effluent into a lesser boiling hydrotreated effluent and a greater boiling hydrotreated effluent comprising the asphaltenes, combining the greater boiling hydrotreated effluent with a light paraffin solvent to produce a combined stream, adsorbing the asphaltenes from the combined stream to produce an adsorption effluent, and hydrocracking the lesser boiling hydrotreated effluent and at least a portion of the adsorption effluent to produce a hydrocracked effluent with hydrocarbons boiling less than 180° C. The systems and processes increase the hydrocarbon conversion and yield of hydrocarbons boiling less than 180° C.

The disclosure provides various methods for separating and recovering free fatty acids crude oil containing free fatty acids using certain ion-exchange resins to reduce the amount of free fatty acids in the crude oil to 3% or less such that the resultant oil is useable in downstream chemical processes. After separation and removal of the free fatty acids form the crude oil, the ion-exchange resin is reusable in further free fatty acid separation reactions.

The disclosure provides various methods for separating and recovering free fatty acids crude oil containing free fatty acids using certain ion-exchange resins to reduce the amount of free fatty acids in the crude oil to 3% or less such that the resultant oil is useable in downstream chemical processes. After separation and removal of the free fatty acids form the crude oil, the ion-exchange resin is reusable in further free fatty acid separation reactions.

A process for separating one or more one-ring cycloparaffins and one or more multi-ring cycloparaffins from a hydrocarbon mixture is disclosed. The process comprises the steps of providing the hydrocarbon mixture; and contacting the hydrocarbon mixture with an adsorbent material comprising a metal organic framework to separate the one or more one-ring cycloparaffins and the one or more multi-ring cycloparaffins from the hydrocarbon mixture. The process is conducted in a liquid phase.

A process for separating one or more one-ring cycloparaffins and one or more multi-ring cycloparaffins from a hydrocarbon mixture is disclosed. The process comprises the steps of providing the hydrocarbon mixture; and contacting the hydrocarbon mixture with an adsorbent material comprising a metal organic framework to separate the one or more one-ring cycloparaffins and the one or more multi-ring cycloparaffins from the hydrocarbon mixture. The process is conducted in a liquid phase.

Provided are a method of producing a lubricating base oil composition including a) reacting at least a part of waste plastic pyrolysis oil having a boiling point in a range higher than 340° C. to remove impurities and structurally isomerizing the oil; and b) hydroisomerizing at least a part of the product of step a), and a lubricating base oil composition produced therefrom. A lubricating base oil, which has more methyl branches than petroleum-based lubricating base oil, to have improved low-temperature properties may be provided.

A process for treating a hydrocarbon stream to remove polynuclear aromatic (PNA) and heavy polynuclear aromatic (HPNA) compounds includes contacting the hydrocarbon stream with an adsorbent in an adsorption unit to adsorb the PNA and HPNA compounds onto the adsorbent to produce a treated hydrocarbon stream and regenerating the adsorbent. Regenerating the adsorbent may include contacting the adsorbent with a solvent comprising a disulfide oil, such as a disulfide oil effluent from a mercaptan oxidation unit. The solvent comprising the disulfide oil desorbs the PNA and HPNA compounds from the adsorbent into the solvent to produce a desorption effluent. The treated hydrocarbon stream can be passed to a hydrocracking unit that hydrocracks the treated hydrocarbon stream to produce a hydrocracker effluent that includes greater value petrochemical products or intermediates.

A process for upgrading a hydrocarbon feed, such as crude oil or other heavy oils, may include hydrotreating a hydrocarbon feed in a hydrotreating unit to produce a hydrotreated effluent that includes asphaltenes, coke precursors, or both. The process further includes hydrocracking the hydrotreated effluent in a hydrocracking unit to produce a hydrocracked effluent, adsorbing at least a portion of the asphaltenes, coke precursors, or both, from the hydrotreated effluent, the hydrocracked effluent, or both, separating the hydrocracked effluent into at least an upgraded lesser-boiling effluent and a greater-boiling effluent in a hydrocracked effluent separation system, and steam cracking the upgraded lesser-boiling effluent to produce olefins, aromatic compounds, or combinations of these. The process may further include recycling the greater boiling effluent back to the hydrotreating unit and hydrocracking a middle distillate effluent from the hydrocracked effluent separation system. Systems for conducting the processes are also disclosed.