Provided are a method for manufacturing a high yield and high performance mesophase pitch and a high yield and high performance mesophase pitch manufactured therefrom by hydrogenating, mesophase formation, thin film evaporation, solvent-extracting, filtering and then drying to obtain only mesogen components in flow-domained mesophase pitch and then mixing the mesogen components with an isotropic pitch as a solvent component. Further, the high yield mesophase pitch of the present disclosure exhibits high spinnability while maintaining whole anisotropy and exhibits a much higher production yield than existing mesophase pitches.

The present disclosure generally relates to dispersions useful for scavenging hydrogen sulfide. The dispersions may be anhydrous and contain a solvent and a hydrogen sulfide scavenging compound. The hydrogen sulfide scavenging compound may be hexamine, for example. The solvent may be a C.sub.2-8 polyol, such as glycerin.

Methods for of processing an oxygen containing feedstock to an amine reacted liquid or solid phase with a different solubility, polarity and/or functionality may, in various embodiments, comprise steps of contacting the amine with an oxygen containing hydrocarbon with temperature to facilitate reactions to reduce the oxygen content and modulate the solubility, polarity and/or functionality of the products.

Methods of processing a coal-based feedstock to a high value product are provided. In one embodiment a method of processing a coal-based feedstock to a high value product, the method comprises the steps of: contacting the coal-based feedstock with one or more solvents under non-pyrolytic conditions thereby generating a liquid phase; and fractionating the liquid phase to generate at least two fractions under conditions such that at least one of the fractions is the high value product. The liquid phase may comprise 5 to 25 wt % oxygen and at least 70% of the oxygen in the liquid phase may be in the form of phenolic, carboxylic and ketone functional groups of hydrocarbon-based compounds.

An integrated method for mesophase pitch and petrochemicals production. The method including supplying crude oil to a reactor vessel; heating the crude oil in the reactor vessel to a predetermined temperature for a predetermined amount of time; reducing asphaltene content in the crude oil by allowing polymerization reactions to occur in the reactor vessel at an elevated pressure in the absence of oxygen; producing a three-phase upgraded hydrocarbon product comprising gas, liquid, and solid hydrocarbon components, where the liquid hydrocarbon component comprises deasphalted oil and the solid hydrocarbon component comprises mesophase pitch; separating the gas, liquid, and solid hydrocarbon components; directly utilizing the liquid hydrocarbon component for petrochemicals production; and directly utilizing the solid hydrocarbon component for carbon artifact production.

A process for making mesophase and/or isotropic pitch. An aromatic rich liquid is charged at high temperature and pressure to a first thermal polymerization reactor to produce an effluent stream which is flashed to remove unconverted or partially converted feed as a vapor yielding a liquid phase enriched in isotropic pitch. The enriched isotropic pitch liquid is charged to a second thermal reactor and reactor effluent flashed to produce mesophase pitch and a vapor phase. The vapor phases from both flashing steps are condensed and combined for recycle of a liquid aromatic rich stream to the first reactor. Flashing from the first reactor cools the liquid phase which is enriched in isotropic pitch. This enriched stream is mixed with a superheated fluid, preferably steam, upstream of the second reactor.

It has been discovered that contaminants such as metals and/or amines can be transferred from a hydrocarbon phase to a water phase in an emulsion breaking process by using a composition that contains water-soluble C5-C12 polyhydroxy carboxylic acids, ammonium salts thereof, alkali metal salts thereof, and mixtures of all of these. The composition may also optionally include a mineral acid to reduce the pH of the desalter wash water. The method permits transfer of metals and/or amines into the aqueous phase with little or no hydrocarbon phase undercarry into the aqueous phase. Resolving the emulsion into the hydrocarbon phase and the aqueous phase occurs in a refinery desalting process using electrostatic coalescence. The composition is particularly useful in treating crude oil emulsions, and in removing calcium and other metals therefrom. The polyhydroxy carboxylic acid additionally inhibits metal corrosion of metal pipe or other equipment used in a crude unit.

A composition providing a copper-carboxylic acid complex, the copper-carboxylic acid complex having a molar ratio of copper (Cu) to carboxylic acid that is between 1:0.1 and 1:1.5; and an asphalt composition. A method for scavenging hydrogen sulfide from asphalt, the method providing a composition comprising a copper-carboxylic acid complex having a molar ratio of copper (Cu) to carboxylic acid of the copper-carboxylic acid complex is between 1:0.1 and 1:1.5; and adding the composition to an asphalt composition.

Processes for chemically treating polyaromatic feedstock to form aromatic-containing oligomers or polymers are provided. The processes are characterized by treatment of a plurality of different polyaromatic hydrocarbon molecules and/or polyheterocyclic molecules present in polyaromatic feedstock with a first reagent so as to functionalize the molecules. Further treatment in a second step affords oligomeric or polymeric products which may be crosslinked. The products may be thermoplastic or thermoset materials and may find use in, for example, infrastructure applications, composites, fillers, fire retardants and 3-D printing materials.

A method and an apparatus for processing and recovering bitumen (42) and aggregate (41) from asphalt (40), in which: a) the asphalt (40) is mechanically comminuted; b) the comminuted asphalt is introduced into an evacuated or evacuatable processing chamber (1); c) the processing chamber (1) is evacuated by adjusting the pressure in the processing chamber (1) to a pressure lower than ambient pressure, preferably 200 mbar or lower; d) the processing chamber (1) is then charged at least once with a liquid organic solvent; e) the liquid organic solvent is then extracted from the processing chamber (1); and then f1) the organic solvent is fed into the evacuated processing chamber (1) in the vapor phase at the reduced pressure, at a temperature at or above the flash point of the organic solvent; and/or f2) liquid organic solvent is fed into the treatment chamber (1).