PURPOSE: To obtain a constant quality reformed oil at low cost with aromaticity arbitrarily controlled without the use of an expensive catalyst by atomizing heavy oil with steam and retaining the atomized oil in an externally heated reactor oven at a temp. in a particular range for a short period of time.
CONSTITUTION: Heavy oil, such as coal tar (distillate oil), in a stock tank 1 is introduced by means of a pump 2 into a preheater 3, wherein the oil is preheated. The preheated oil is fed to an addn. nozzle 6 and concurrently atomized with steam 5. The atomized oil is blown into an externally heated reactor oven 7 kept at 750-950°C, optionally while adding up to 4wt.% (in terms of amt. of O2, relative to amt. of heavy oil) air 4 or O2 to the oil. The oil is retained in a gas-phase thermal cracking temp. region for hydrocarbon oils of at least 600°C in the oven 7 for a period of 0.1-15 sec to thereby effect reforming.
SATO MAKI
FUJIMOTO KENICHI
NIPPON STEEL CHEMICAL CO