Asphalt penetration

[youssec]

I am working on a" Crude Distillation Unit" project design in order to produce the bottoms that go directly to an Asphalt plant.Our client asks for an Asphalt plant feed stock specifications as follows:
Viscosity: 1000 cPs @ 100 C
Flash point: less than 270 C
Penetration Point: 280-300 dmm @ 25 C.

Using Hysys, I verified that the Viscosity and Flash Point are going to meet the criteria. Unfortonatly, I have not been able to verify that if Flash Point would be withing the limit or not.
Any suggestion would be highly appreciated

 

[gedomin]

Viscosity range ?
You say Flash Point LESS than 270 degC. It shouldn't be an issue.
How to predict Viscosity and Penetration vrs distillation cut point? These are highly dependent on crude type. Crude assay or actual plant data are required for estimating target distillation cut points. Wonder how did you input bitumen quality into HYSYS.

The Asphalt Unit operating range should be able for obtaining a bottoms IBP from 800 to 1000 degF (TBP distillation) by adjusting flash zone temperature (under vacuum).
Typical atmospheric distillation bottoms IBP is usually near 650 degF. This is not the best point, in the process, to fix viscosity & penetration.

 

[youssec]

Thanks gedomin. The issue is how I can make sure that the asphalt penetration will be ok if we a feed coming from a Typical atm disstillation unit?.

 

[gedomin]

As said before, this is highly dependent on crude, depending on asphaltenes content.
For low asphaltenes content, you might get no asphalt specs at all, even at high flash zone temps.
May I ask what is the typical crude you are processing?

 

[youssec]

I have to chosse one of the three crudes cold lake, westerna candian blend, and the bow River. You can find thier Assays at

http://www.crudemonitor.ca

 

[gedomin]

Crudes detailed below seem best suitable for making asphalt.
As you may note, cut points are beyond 700F, which indicates you must feed your topped crude into vacuum distillation. Cold Lake looks best.

Residua converged to 290pen@25C
Crude/Cut point degF/Yield on Crude vol%/Visc cSt@100C
Bow River South /835 /39.7 /702
Cold Lake Blend /741 /54.7 /1017