US Patent 7837854 Process and apparatus for upgrading steam cracked tar

A process and apparatus are provided for upgrading steam cracked tars. The invention also relates to a steam cracking process and apparatus for reducing the yields of tars produced from steam cracking while increasing yields of higher value products, heating cooled steam cracker tar containing asphaltenes, to a temperature, e.g., above about 300° C., which is sufficient to convert at least a portion of the steam cracked tar to lower boiling molecules. The resulting heat-treated tar can be separated into gas oil, fuel oil and tar streams.