Asphalt de-asphalt removers are used in oil refineries to extract usable products from crude oil. They use a solvent-based process to remove solid asphaltenes, which are used to make asphalt. The remaining materials are further processed to create lubricants, fuel, and lamp oil.
An asphalt de-asphalt remover is a heavy-duty piece of industrial equipment found in many oil refineries and fuel processing plants. These machines are used in petroleum distillation, which is the process of extracting usable products from a barrel of crude oil. A standard asphalt breaker is used to produce asphalt, which is used extensively to pave roads and other surfaces around the world. These machines also produce a number of additional by-products which can be used as fuel sources or lubricants.
To understand how a de-aphalt remover works, it helps to understand how the oil distillation process works. Refineries start by subjecting the entire barrel of crude oil to a process known as vacuum distillation. This divides the oil into many products, each with different levels of purity and contaminants. The more purified distillation products are sent for further refining, where they are transformed into gasoline and liquid propane. Some of the more contaminated products, such as the heavy sludge found on the barrel bottle, are transported to the de-paver for further processing.
Most asphalt removal systems worldwide are based on a solvent-based asphalt removal process. These machines consist of large metal drums filled with a hydrocarbon solvent such as propane or butane. When the by-products of the vacuum distillation sludge are deposited in these drums, many of the natural gases within the sludge dissolve. Solid asphaltenes retain their solid state and can be extracted by the machine and used to make asphalt. Propane or butane solvents remain in the drum for reuse.
Asphaltenes, after being removed from the asphalt remover, are subject to oxidation, which gives them the properties necessary for use in paving. A certain amount of waste sludge at the bottom of the deasphalt cannot be further treated and must be sent to an industrial landfill for disposal. The resinous by-products produced during oxidation are separated from the asphalt to become lubricants or greases used for machinery and vehicles.
The dissolved gases and some resins remaining inside the deafaltor are also collected and further processed. These gases and resins are subjected to a process known as hydrocracking, which helps remove any remaining impurities and transforms these materials into deasphalted oil (DAO). Deasphalted oil serves as common fuel or lamp oil and is a slightly less refined version of kerosene. The large number of impurities left in DAO causes it to burn quite dirty and has led many to seek out cleaner fuels.
Protect your devices with Threat Protection by NordVPN
