Process to produce blown asphalt

A process for producing blown asphalt, the process comprising the steps of:

• mixing a heated hydrocarbon stream and a supercritical water in a mixer to produce a mixed stream, where the heated hydrocarbon stream has a temperature less than the temperature of the critical temperature of water and a pressure between 23 MPa and 35 MPa, where the supercritical water has a temperature between the critical temperature of water and 600 deg C. and a pressure of 23 MPa to 35 MPa, where the mixed stream comprises water and hydrocarbons having an asphaltene fraction;
• introducing the mixed stream to a supercritical water reactor;
• operating the supercritical water reactor at a reaction temperature and a reaction pressure for a residence time to produce a reactor effluent;
• introducing the reactor effluent to a cooler;
• reducing the temperature of the reactor effluent in the cooler to produce a cooled effluent;
• feeding the cooled effluent through a depressurizing device to produce a depressurized stream;
• introducing the depressurized stream to a flash drum;
• separating the depressurized stream in the flash drum to produce a light fraction stream and a heavy fraction stream, where the light fraction stream contains light hydrocarbons and water, where the heavy fraction stream contains a maltene fraction, an asphaltene fraction, and water;
• introducing the heavy fraction stream to a storage tank, the storage tank configured to store the heavy fraction stream;
• withdrawing an oxidizing reactor feed from the storage tank;
• introducing the oxidizing reactor feed to an oxidation reactor;
• introducing an oxygen source to the oxidation reactor, where the oxidation source comprises molecular oxygen;
• and
• operating the oxidation reactor at an oxidation temperature and an oxidation pressure to produce a product effluent, where the product effluent comprises an oxidized asphaltene fraction.