ROSE Process Offers Energy Savings for Solvent Extraction

Abstract

Kerr-McGee has developed and commercialized an energy-efficient solvent extraction process known as ROSE (Residuum Oil Supercritical Extraction) in which the extraction solvent is recovered as a supercritical fluid. The energy requirement for supercritical solvent recovery is substantially lower than for conventional solvent processes using evaporation, compression and condensation. The ROSE technology is applicable to a wide variety of both organic and inorganic solvents. Energy savings of forty to fifty percent have been demonstrated commercially with ROSE compared to traditional solvent recovery. The dollar value of the savings is related to the solvent-to-feed ratio employed in the process and the cost of steam, fuel and electricity. Kerr-McGee has a bench scale pilot plant available for feedstock evaluation. Four commercial ROSE units and a large pilot plant have been placed into operation during the past five years. Two additional units are under construction and others are in various stages of design.

This paper describes the ROSE process and illustrates its flexibility with respect to the types of feedstocks and variety of solvents which are utilized.