Patent ID: 7871510

Claim:
A process to produce a free-flowing shot coke, comprising: a) conducting a feedstream consisting of a petroleum vacuum resid to a retentate zone of a membrane separations unit wherein the resid feedstream contacts a first side of at least one permeable membrane comprised of a ceramic, metal or a combination of ceramic and metal materials having an average pore size from 0.001 to 2 microns at a pressure of at least 300 psig and a temperature of 150 to 350° C.; b) passing a portion of the resid feedstream from the first side of the membrane, through the membrane, to a second side of the membrane; c) retrieving a permeate product from the second side of the membrane; d) retrieving a retentate product stream from the first side of the membrane, wherein the CCR wt % content of the retentate product is greater than the CCR wt % content of the resid feedstream by a CCR Increase Factor (CCR wt % of retentate divided by CCR wt % of resid feedstream) of at least 1.2; e) conducting at least a portion of the retentate product to a delayed coking unit and subjecting the retentate product to delayed coking in the unit; and f) obtaining a substantially free-flowing shot coke product from the delayed coking unit.