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US 11,214,740 B2Granted
Endogenous asphaltenic encapsulation of bituminous materials with recovery of light ends
OwnerIan Donald Gates, Jingyi Wanginventors
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Abstract
The invention provides methods for pelletizing bituminous liquids by inducing endogenous asphaltenes in the liquid to form a resilient external membrane on an aliquot of the bituminous liquid, optionally with simultaneous collection of light components that result from the process of inducing endogenous asphaltene formation.
Claims23
A method of segregating a bituminous liquid into discrete shaped units, comprising:
- continuously dividing the bituminous liquid into shaped liquid aliquots, each aliquot having a discrete shape defined by a material handling mechanism that contains the aliquot;
- and
- heating the exterior of each shaped aliquot, the heating of the exterior causing an outer membrane of asphaltenic material to precipitate from the shaped bituminous liquid, the precipitated asphaltenic outer membrane forming a resilient asphaltenic coating encapsulating the shaped aliquot, the resilient asphaltenic coating retaining the discrete shape of the shaped aliquot when the aliquot is released from the material handling mechanism, to form a resiliently shaped unit of bituminous liquid encapsulated in the asphaltenic outer membrane.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.