Patent ID: 8303803

Claim:
A process for pyrolyzing a hydrocarbon feedstock containing nonvolatiles in a regenerative pyrolysis reactor system, said process comprising: (a) heating the nonvolatile-containing hydrocarbon feedstock to a temperature sufficient to form a vapor phase that is essentially free of nonvolatiles and a liquid phase containing nonvolatiles; (b) separating said vapor phase from said liquid phase, wherein the separation comprises use of at least one of a flash drum, a knock-out drum, a flash drum having a heating means within the drum, a knock-out drum having a heating means within the knock-out drum, and combinations thereof; (c) feeding the separated vapor phase to said regenerative pyrolysis reactor system; and (d) converting the separated vapor phase in said regenerative pyrolysis reactor system to form a pyrolysis product, wherein the regenerative pyrolysis reactor system heats the separated vapor phase to a temperature equal to or greater than 1500° C. to convert the separated vapor phase to form said pyrolysis product.