Asphalt Binder Production
Dan Weidman
BP- Bitumen BU
December 7, 2006
1
How is bitumen made?
2
Overview
• Process
– how a refinery makes bitumen
– how are the different bitumen products made
• Quality
– how a refinery makes good quality bitumen
3
Oil products – global consumption
Total = 75 Million barrels/day in 2000
(80 Million barrels/day in 2004)
LPG (6.5)
Propylene (0.5)
Naphtha (4.2)
Gasoline (19.7)
Aromatics (0.9)
Jet and Kerosene (6)
Diesel & Heating oil (20)
Lubricants (0.7)
Inland Fuel Oil (8.7)
Refinery Fuel (3.3)
Marine FO (2.1) Bitumen (1.5)
Source: BP
Coke (0.9)
4
Product properties
Boiling
point (°C)
Carbon
number
3-4
5 - 10
12 - 18
18 - 24
24 - 40
24 - ~300
~40 - ~300
LPG
Gasoline
Kerosene
Diesel
Lubricating oils
-10 - 15
15 - 150
150 - 260
230 - 370
370 - 525
Heavy fuel oil
370 -
Bitumen
525 -
5
Complex refinery process flow diagram
Gases
Refinery Gas
Gas Plant
LPG
Crude oil distillation
Crude Oil
Ethylene
Propylene
Olefin
Units
Isomerisation
Naphtha
Hydrofiner
Middle distillates
Aromatics
Units
Reformer
Dealkyl.
Benzene
o-Xylene
CHD
p-Xylene
Alkylation
Solvents
Gasoil
Aviation Fuel
HT/FCC
Vacuum
Unit
Hydrocracker
Diesel / Light heating oil
Gasoline
Visbreaker
Partial
Oxidation
Residue
Coker
H2S-Gas
Refinery
Methanol
Synthesis
Methanol
Ammonia
Synthesis
Ammonia
Claus
Bitumen
Sulphur
Bitumen
Petroleum coke
Calciner
Petroleum coke
Heavy fuel oil
Separations
Conversion
Treatments
6
Atmospheric distillation
Water
condenser
Gas
125 °C
150 °C
Pre-heated
crude oil
Gasoline
165 °C
Kerosine
250°C
300 °C
Gas oil
280 °C
Atmospheric residue
7
Vacuum distillation
Water
condenser
46 °C
Vacuum
110 °C
185 °C
Vacuum
distillates
260°C
340 °C
Pre-heated
atmospheric
residue
385 °C
350 °C
(525 °C)
Vacuum residue
(bitumen feedstock)
8
Simplest production route for bitumen
Atmospheric
Distillation
Vacuum
Distillation
Heavy
crudes
Soft
Blended grades
Hard
9
Higher boiling point = harder bitumen
100
Distillation curve for Arab Heavy
90
Residue yield, %wt
80
70
60
200 pen
50
42 pen
Atmospheric
distillation
40
30
Vacuum
distillation
20
10
0
0
100
200
300
400
500
600
700
800
900
1000
True Boiling Point, °C
10
Essential properties of refined bitumen
•
•
•
•
•
Specific consistency at key temperatures
Durability = resistance to ageing
Adhesion
Cohesion
Low fuming tendency
11
Bituminous products
Normal
Paving
+ polymer
Bitumen
base
+ water
& soap
+ flux &
blowing
+ kerosene
Polymer
Modified
Emulsion
Oxidised
Cut Back
12
Bitumen quality depends mainly on choice of crude
Heavy
1
0.95
Crude density, kg/l
0.9
Heavy
Sweet
Heavy
Sour
Light
Sweet
Light
Sour
0.85
0.8
0.75
0.7
0.65
Light
0.6
0.001
Sweet
0.01
0.1
Sulphur in crude, %wt
1
10
Sour
13
Refinery activities that influence bitumen
Months
Weeks
Planning
Days
Hours
Processing
Blending
Loading
Scheduling
14
Summary of Feedstock Selection Criteria
Composition
Quality
Available process
equipment
Impact on
other products
Economic
Bitumen
Yield
15
Product yield varies from crude to crude
API gravity
45.2
39.8
37.9
37.8
36.3
32.8
31.8
30.8
30.4
27.9
16.2
Sulphur, %wt
0.09
0.39
0.44
0.16
0.56
1.36
0.56
2.40
2.05
1.11
2.33
100%
Volume distilled
80%
LPG
Naphtha
Kerosene
Gas Oil
Vacuum Residue
60%
40%
20%
W
es
tT
Sa
ha
ra
ex
n
as
B
le
In
nd
te
rm
ed
ia
Br
te
en
tB
le
nd
Am
en
W
am
al
io
Ex
po
rt
Is
th
m
us
Te
rr
a
No
Ar
va
ab
M
ed
Du
iu
m
ba
Al
as
iE
ka
xp
or
N
or
t
th
Sl
op
e
De
Bc
m
f-1
an
7
d
in
20
00
0%
Source: BP
16
To make good quality bitumen
• Bitumen that meets specs & is fit for
purpose
– specific refinery components
– with the right physical properties
– determined by composition
• determined by choice of raw
materials
• and processing
–and know-how
17
Distillation curves
100
Vacuum
distillation
90
Residue yield, %wt
80
Cerro Negro
70
60
Isla
50
Atmospheric
distillation
40
AH
30
Kuwait
20
Iran Light
10
Urals
Cossack
0
0
100
200
300
400
500
600
700
800
900
1000
True Boiling Point, °C
18
Heavy crudes are best for bitumen
1
Known bitumen crude
BCF17
Urals
ANS
Mars
Maya
LLK
0.95
Other crude
Crude density, kg/l
0.9
Souedie
Dubai Export
0.85
Kirkuk
Arab Light
0.8
WTS
0.75
CPC Blend
Forties
0.7
WTI
Brent
0.65
0.6
0.001
0.01
0.1
1
10
Sulphur in crude, %wt
19
20
Canadian crude to US
21
Summary
• Adhesive, durable, waterproof,
thermoplastic
• Many applications
• Not all residues suitable
• Complex chemistry
• Processing /modifiers can alter properties
• Heavy oil production growing
22