ABSTRACT
Solvent deasphalting is a physical separation process used for separation of compounds from residue fractions. This chapter focuses on solvent deasphalting as a feed pretreatment process to produce deasphalted oil. Solvent deasphalting, solvent dewaxing, and solvent extraction processes are related, since they all perform separation on a feed material that remains in the liquid phase. A solvent deasphalting process consists of a few basic steps: solvent addition and mixing, phase separation and solvent recovery to produce deasphalted oil and pitch as products. A partial solvent deasphalting technology that was developed for separation of bitumen, water, and mineral matter is bitumen froth treatment. In a solvent deasphalting process, the solubility parameter of the bulk liquid phase is changed by the addition of the anti-solvent. Asphaltenes is a solubility class of compounds. The solvent deasphalting process is in essence a process for precipitating the asphaltenes fraction in the feed material.
