Bitumen solidification and prilling

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10106745-B2
Application number	US-201615334134-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 25, 2016
Priority date	Oct 26, 2015
Publication date	Oct 23, 2018
Grant date	Oct 23, 2018

Abstract

Methods, processes, and apparatuses for preparing and transporting bitumen. Bitumen may be prilled such that a bitumen product comprising a prill core and a non-stick coating is produced. The non-stick coating may comprise asphaltenes and the prill core may comprise bitumen, deasphalted oil, or both bitumen and deasphalted oil. The resultant non-stick coated prills have reduced adhesion to transportation vessels and other non-stick coated prills at a temperature below an adhesion temperature, facilitating transport.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for transporting bitumen, the method comprising:
generating a first non-stick coated prill comprising a prill core and a non-stick coating, the prill core comprising bitumen, deasphalted oil, or a combination thereof, and the non-stick coating comprising asphaltenes; and
transporting the non-stick coated prill in a transportation vessel;
the non-stick coated prill having reduced adhesion to the transportation vessel or a second non-stick coated prill having the non-stick coating at a temperature below an adhesion temperature, wherein the adhesion temperature is a temperature below which the first non-stick coated prill tends not to adhere a surface or to the second non-stick coated prill.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein at least some of the asphaltenes of the non-stick coating are asphaltenes separated from a bitumen or deasphalted oil prior to using the bitumen or deasphalted oil for generating the prill core.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the adhesion temperature is above an ambient transportation temperature.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the non-stick coating comprises asphaltenes applied to the prill core as a powder, as a liquid which subsequently solidifies, as a solvent-diluted asphaltenes solution which subsequently solidifies, or a combination thereof.

5. The method according to claim 4 , wherein the non-stick coating comprises asphaltenes applied as toluene-diluted asphaltenes.

6. A non-stick coated prill comprising:
a prill core comprising bitumen, deasphalted oil, or a combination thereof; and
a non-stick coating comprising asphaltenes, the non-stick coating having reduced adhesion to another non-stick coated prill having the non-stick coating at a temperature below an adhesion temperature, wherein the adhesion temperature is a temperature below which the non-stick coated prill tends not to adhere a surface or to the another non-stick coated prill.

7. The non-stick coated prill according to claim 6 , wherein the non-stick coated prill is prepared by:
generating the prill core comprising bitumen, deasphalted oil, or a combination thereof; and
coating the prill core with the non-stick coating.

8. The non-stick coated prill according to claim 7 , wherein at least some of the asphaltenes of the non-stick coating are asphaltenes separated from a bitumen or deasphalted oil prior to using the bitumen or deasphalted oil for generating the prill core.

9. The non-stick coated prill according to claim 6 , wherein the non-stick coated prill is prepared by:
introducing bitumen, deasphalted oil, or a combination thereof, into a prilling vessel and forming the prill core comprising bitumen, deasphalted oil, or a combination thereof;
cooling the prill core; and
coating the prill core with the non-stick coating.

10. The non-stick coated prill according to claim 9 , wherein at least some of the asphaltenes of the non-stick coating are asphaltenes separated from a bitumen or deasphalted oil prior to using the bitumen or deasphalted oil for generating the prill core.

11. The non-stick coated prill according to claim 10 , wherein the non-stick coating comprises asphaltenes applied to the prill core as a powder, as a liquid which subsequently solidifies, as a solvent-diluted asphaltenes solution which subsequently solidifies, or a combination thereof.

12. The non-stick coated prill according to claim 11 , wherein the non-stick coating comprises asphaltenes applied as toluene-diluted asphaltenes.

13. The non-stick coated prill according to claim 6 , wherein the prill core comprises up to 100% deasphalted oil.

14. The non-stick coated prill according to claim 6 , wherein the non-stick coating comprises asphaltenes applied to the prill core as a powder, as a liquid which subsequently solidifies, as a solvent-diluted asphaltenes solution which subsequently solidifies, or a combination thereof.

15. The non-stick coated prill according to claim 14 , wherein the non-stick coating comprises asphaltenes applied as toluene-diluted asphaltenes.

16. A method for generating a non-stick coated prill, the method comprising:
generating a prill core comprising bitumen, deasphalted oil (DAO), or a combination thereof; and
coating the prill core with a non-stick coating comprising asphaltenes, the non-stick coating having reduced adhesion to another non-stick coated prill having the non-stick coating at a temperature below an adhesion temperature of the non-stick coated prill.

17. The method according to claim 16 , wherein at least some of the asphaltenes of the non-stick coating are asphaltenes separated from a bitumen or DAO prior to using the bitumen or DAO for generating the prill core.

18. The method according to claim 16 , wherein the step of generating the prill core comprises:
introducing bitumen, deasphalted oil (DAO), or a combination thereof, into a prilling vessel and forming the prill core; and
cooling the prill core prior to the step of coating the prill core with the non-stick coating.

19. The method according to claim 16 , wherein the step of coating the prill core with the non-stick coating comprises applying the non-stick coating to the prill core as a powder, as a liquid which subsequently solidifies, as a solvent-diluted asphaltenes solution which subsequently solidifies, or a combination thereof.

20. The method according to claim 19 , wherein the non-stick coating comprises asphaltenes applied as toluene-diluted asphaltenes.

Assignees

• Cenovus Energy Inc

Inventors

• Gupta Subodh
• Holmes Michael N
• Macdonald Eric A
• Wood Jennifer D

Classifications

• C08L91/00

  Compositions of oils, fats or waxes; Compositions of derivatives thereof · CPC title

• C08L95/00

  Compositions of bituminous materials, e.g. asphalt, tar, pitch · CPC title

• C10C3/14 Primary

  Solidifying, Disintegrating, e.g. granulating · CPC title

• B01J2/30

  using agents to prevent the granules sticking together; Rendering particulate materials free flowing in general, e.g. making them hydrophobic · CPC title

• B01F23/451

  by injecting one liquid into another · CPC title