Abstract

REQUENA, ALEJANDRO; PEREZ, MARÍA M  and  DELGADO, LUISA A. Formation of petroleum coke texture during delayed coking. Rev. Fac. Ing. UCV [online]. 2008, vol.23, n.3, pp.103-112. ISSN 0798-4065.

Physical, chemical end textural properties of cokes obtained from the processing of four residua in pilot and commercial scale delayed coking units are compared. Results reveal that, even though the chemical nature of the residua influences the coke’s texture, operational parameters regarding thermal profiles and gas evolution during the coking process significantly affect the texture development and formation. Consequently, results suggest that pilot plants designed to simulate light product and coke yield do not accurately predict the structural properties of the coke since variations introduced due to scale changes modify the physical properties of the coke.

Keywords : Delayed coke; Optical microscopy index; Mesophase.