Thermomechanical Dehydration of Highly-Stable Dispersions of Liquid Pyrolysis Products

Abstract

Highly organized and highly stable water—hydrocarbon dispersions of liquid pyrolysis products and an ethane fraction were studied. Water evaporation was used as a dehydration method. Mixtures containing a water cut (20-75 mass%) were studied. Feedstock was separated by a thermomechanical method into bottom-product and distillate fractions. The dehydration efficiency was assessed based on the water cut in the bottom products. The water content in all studied mixtures was reduced to trace levels in the bottom products. Increasing the water cut in the emulsions was shown to increase the ratio of recovered hydrocarbon distillate to bottom products whereas diluting the starting emulsion with light pyrolysis resin had the opposite effect on the yield of dehydration products depending on the starting pyrolysis feedstock.