The present scenario of the global oil production is characterized by the new discoveries and exploration of ultra-heavy and bituminous crude oils. In this scenario, is of great importance, the development of technology for processing the residuum of atmospheric distillation able to withdraw a greater range of products with high added value generating less waste and ensuring that this waste has an appropriate destination. The supercritical extraction represents a promising alternative concerning high product quality and recovery. Moreover this technique is considered a clean technology due to the possibility of the minimization of energy consumption in the solvent recovering that is recycled to the process. The residue of atmospheric distillation that is a cut of high molecular weight and low added value, but still contains fractions of commercial interest in conventional route, is sent to the vacuum distillation followed by the propane desasphaltation via liquid-liquid extraction. The present work proposes an alternative route and uses a processes simulator to evaluate the supercritical extracting process of the atmospheric distillation residue investigating the use of carbon dioxide, propane and the mixture of carbon dioxide and propane as the solvents for the extraction.
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