Patent ID: 7566394

Claim:
A solvent deasphalting process comprising: a. introducing a hydrocarbon oil feedstock containing asphaltenes into a mixing vessel with a paraffinic solvent and a solid adsorbent material selected from the group consisting of attapulgus clay, alumina, silica activated carbon and zeolite catalyst materials; b. mixing the solid asphaltenes formed in the paraffinic solvent phase with the adsorbent material for a time sufficient to adsorb sulfur- and nitrogen-containing polynuclear aromatic molecules on the adsorbent material; c. separating the solid phase comprising asphaltenes and adsorbent from the oil/solvent mixture; d. passing the oil/solvent mixture to a separation vessel to separate the deasphalted oil and paraffinic solvent and recovering the solvent for recycling to the mixing vessel; e. passing the asphalt/adsorbent mixture to a filtration vessel with an aromatic or polar solvent to desorb the adsorbed compounds and to recover the solid asphalt phase; and f. passing the aromatic or polar solvent mixture to a fractionator to recover the solvent.