ON HYDROCARBON VAPOR UTILIZATION WHILE BITUMEN PRODUCTION

Abstract

As it is known, bitumen producers face the problem of utilization of hydrocarbon vapors formed during the oxidation process. At type 19/3 installations, petroleum products and vaporous products condensed in a scrubber are pumped out in large quantities to the ELOU units to be involved in the process of re-refining or burned in afterburning furnaces together with the gas part. The existing methods of hydrocarbon vapor utilization are not economically efficient and harmful to the environment. This article describes a method of utilization of hydrocarbon vapors involving them in the of bitumen production process using a column-type scrubber as an oxidation reactor, and blowing itself as a plasticizing agent. A laboratory experiment was also carried out on a batch bitumen production unit to assess the possibility of using this method for raw materials obtained from a mixture of Arlan and West Siberian oils. The results obtained during the experiment showed that this method is effective for road bitumen production according to State Standard 33133-2014, and is also more environmentally friendly than the hydrocarbon vapors utilization method used at refineries at the moment.