Thermal cracking processes are used in petroleum refineries to upgrade and convert petroleum resid. Resid is the heavier material bottoms from atmospheric and vacuum distillation of crude oil. An initial atmospheric distillation may be required on your feedstock to remove the lighter material prior to vacuum distillation. IntertekPARC will assist you in selecting the appropriate distillation strategy.  IntertekPARC offers vacuum distillation services to produce resid using one of two stills:

• Short-residence-time flash vaporizer with a capacity of up to 3 liters/hr at 2-3 mm Hg vacuum to cut up to 1100°F.
• Continuous one-column still P-13 with a capacity of 15 gallons per hour at 2-3 mm Hg vacuum, with or without steam assistance, to cut up to 1025°F.

Delayed coking converts the resid into higher value, lighter coker liquids, e.g. naphtha, light coker gas oil and heavy coker gas oil, and petroleum coke (petcoke) via thermal cracking. IntertekPARC has two delayed cokers:

• Pilot Plant P-2 with three coker drums either 22 or 80 liters in volume.
• Feed rate from 1-3 gph
• Total liquid product or multi-product distillation
• Once-through or recycle operation
• Pilot Plant P-3 with one 5-liter coker drum
• Feed rate from 800 to 1600 cc/hr
• Total liquid product
• Once-through operation

Visbreaking is a thermal cracking process that reduces the viscosity of heavy crude-oil residue. It lowers pour points of waxy residues and enables the refiner to blend heavier materials with lighter fuel oils. IntertekPARC has two visbreaking pilot plants:

•  Pilot Plant P-2 with a 130 ft, 3000 cc coil
• Eight (8)  zones with independent temperature control
• Feed rate from 1-3 gph
• Integrated multi product distillation
• Pilot Plant P-3 with one 270 cc coil
• Feed rate from 800 to 2400 cc/hr
• Total liquid product
• Once-through operation

Deasphalting is a process in which the asphaltenes in the vacuum resid are extracted by precipitating them, because they does not dissolve in the paraffinic solvent. IntertekPARC has two solvent processing units for deasphalting:

• Pilot Plant P-73
• Feed  rate from 0.5 to 2.0 gph
• Recycled light hydrocarbon solvents (C3, C4 and C5 or mixtures)
• Temperatures up to 500 F
• Pressures up to 600 psig
• Pilot Plant P-74
• Feed rate from 300 to 500 cc/hr
• Once-through light hydrocarbon solvents (C3, C4 and C5 or mixtures)
• Temperatures up to 500 F
• Pressures up to 600 psig.