# US 11,306,256 B2 · Transfer hydrogenation of heavy hydrocarbons with hydrogen-donor solvents > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,306,256 B2 - Document ID: US11306256B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/631,106 - Filed: 2018-07-13 - Published: 2020-08-27 - Granted: 2022-04-19 - Earliest claimed: 2017-07-14 - Assignees: Battelle Memorial Institute - Applicants: Battelle Memorial Institute - Inventors: Satya P. Chauhan; Daniel B. Garbark - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11306256B2 ## CPC - C10G 1/065: {in the presence of a solvent} - C08H 6/00: {Macromolecular compounds derived from lignin, e.g. tannins, humic acids} - C08L 97/005: {Lignin} - C10G 1/002: {in combination with oil conversion- or refining processes} - C10G 1/02: by distillation - C10G 1/042: {by the use of hydrogen-donor solvents} - C10G 1/045: {Separation of insoluble materials} - C10G 3/50: {in the presence of hydrogen, hydrogen donors or hydrogen generating compounds} - C10G 45/32: Selective hydrogenation of the diolefin or acetylene compounds - C10G 45/44: Hydrogenation of the aromatic hydrocarbons - C10G 47/00: Cracking of hydrocarbon oils, in the presence of hydrogen or hydrogen- generating compounds, to obtain lower boiling fractions (C10G15/00 takes precedence; destructive hydrogenation of non-melting solid carbonaceous or similar materials C10G1/06) - C10G 49/007: {in the presence of hydrogen from a special source or of a special composition or having been purified by a special treatment} - C10G 69/06: including at least one step of thermal cracking in the absence of hydrogen - C10G 2300/1011: Biomass - C10G 2300/107: Atmospheric residues having a boiling point of at least about 538 °C - C10G 2300/42: Hydrogen of special source or of special composition - C10G 2300/44: Solvents - Y02P 30/00: Technologies relating to oil refining and petrochemical industry - Y02P 30/20: using bio-feedstock - C10G: CRACKING HYDROCARBON OILS; PRODUCTION OF LIQUID HYDROCARBON MIXTURES, e.g. BY DESTRUCTIVE HYDROGENATION, OLIGOMERISATION, POLYMERISATION (cracking to hydrogen or synthesis gas C01B; cracking or pyrolysis of hydrocarbon gases to individual hydrocarbons or mixtures thereof of definite or specified constitution C07C; cracking to cokes C10B); RECOVERY OF HYDROCARBON OILS FROM OIL-SHALE, OIL-SAND, OR GASES; REFINING MIXTURES MAINLY CONSISTING OF HYDROCARBONS; REFORMING OF NAPHTHA; MINERAL WAXES - C08H: DERIVATIVES OF NATURAL MACROMOLECULAR COMPOUNDS (polysaccharides C08B; natural rubber C08C; natural resins or their derivatives C09F; bituminous materials C10) - C08L: COMPOSITIONS OF MACROMOLECULAR COMPOUNDS (compositions based on polymerisable monomers C08F, C08G; artificial filaments or fibres D01F; textile treating compositions D06) - Y02P: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PRODUCTION OR PROCESSING OF GOODS ## Abstract Processes for treating highly viscous hydrocarbons, such as bitumen from oil sands or petroleum residues, with hydrogen-donor solvents are described. The hydrogen-donor solvent is prepared. A mixture of the hydrocarbon and the hydrogen-donor solvent is heated, and the product is cooled to produce a low viscosity and mildly upgraded hydrocarbon. The hydrogen-donor solvent can be modified to improve its solvent usefulness. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A process of thermally treating a highly viscous, heavy hydrocarbon comprising: preparing a hydrogen-donor solvent capable of dehydrogenation; mixing the heavy hydrocarbon and the hydrogen-donor solvent to form a slurry; heating the slurry such that the heavy hydrocarbon depolymerizes to form smaller fragments and wherein the hydrogen-donor solvent transfers hydrogen to the smaller fragments to prevent repolymerization of the smaller fragments; and cooling the product wherein the product comprises a hydrocarbon having a lower viscosity than a viscosity of the heavy hydrocarbon; wherein the heavy hydrocarbon is treated without using molecular hydrogen and an added catalyst. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The process of claim 1 wherein the hydrogen-donor solvent comprises a mixture of hydrogen-donor solvents. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The process of claim 1 wherein the hydrogen-donor solvent is partially or exclusively derived from a biomass feedstock. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The process of claim 1 wherein the hydrogen-donor solvent is derived from petroleum refinery streams rich in hydroaromatics. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The process of claim 1 wherein the hydrogen-donor solvent is derived from coal by liquefying the coal and selectively hydrotreating the liquefied coal. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The process of claim 1 wherein the hydrogen-donor solvent is derived from lignin, by liquefying the lignin and selectively hydrotreating the liquefied lignin. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The process of claim 1 wherein the hydrogen-donor solvent has a cyclic ring with one or more double bonds on the ring without being fully aromatized. ### Claim 8 The process of claim I wherein the hydrogen-donor solvent contains compounds that can dehydrogenate during hydrocarbon treatment. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The process of claim 1 wherein the hydrogen-donor solvent is prepared by conjugating double bonds in multiply unsaturated fatty acids. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The process of claim 1 wherein the hydrogen-donor solvent comprises a dimer acid. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The process of claim 1 wherein the hydrogen-donor solvent comprises a material produced from pine tree processing. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The process of claim 1 wherein the hydrogen-donor solvent comprises an oil produced by catalytic hydrothennolysis. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The process of claim 1 wherein the hydrogen-donor solvent has been chemically converted to improve its solvent usefulness before heating the mixture. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The process of claim 1 wherein the hydrogen-donor solvent has been chemically converted by one or more of the following processes: esterification, hydrothermolysis, Diels-Alder reactions, dimerization, pyrolysis, hydrotreatment, or bodying. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The process of claim 1 wherein the hydrocarbon is bitumen from oil sands. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The process of claim 1 wherein the hydrocarbon is a petroleum residue.