| abstract |
Solid debris of rocks and scrap metal, etc., which are embedded in recoverable petroleum material such as solid or semisolid pitch or tar deposits, are separated from the petroleum material by a high pressure spray carried out in a closed separation vessel. The separation vessel includes a removable screen container for the solid petroleum material through which the material is sprayed with a heated liquid solvent using high pressure nozzles to melt and/or dissolve the pitch so that it flows through the screen container and is collected in a sump at the bottom of the separation vessel. |