Patent ID: 8221105

Claim:
A system for pelletizing the hot asphaltene, comprising: means for dispersing an asphaltenic hydrocarbon adapted to disperse molten asphaltenic particles at a temperature of from about 175° C. to about 430° C. to provide two or more asphaltenic particles; means for pre-cooling the two or more asphaltenic particles, wherein the pre-cooling comprises passing the two or more asphaltenic particles through a mist of a cooling medium prior to contacting the two or more asphaltenic particles with a film of the cooling medium; means for cooling at least a portion of the two or more asphaltenic particles using the film of cooling medium to provide two or more cooled asphaltenic particles, the film comprising a thickness of from about 1 mm to about 500 mm; and means for separating the two or more cooled asphaltenic particles from at least a portion of the cooling medium, wherein the means for cooling comprises the film disposed on an interior surface of an inverted cone having a top end and an open bottom end.