Bottom of the barrel petroleum sludge was subjected to a solvent deasphalting process with heptane to obtain raw materials for useful products. The carbon content of the sludge was 30.79 wt percent carbon and it was low on metal (Iron = 0.22, Nickel = 0.40, Aluminium = 0.09 and Calcium = 0.10 wt %). The solvent deasphalting was done at solvent-tofeed ratios of 0.5:1, 1:1, 2:1 and 4:1. The mud and asphaltic residues were calcined at 470°C to produce clay and coke respectively. The coke was activated at 600°C and 850°C, and its adsorptive capacity was tested with red palm oil. Temperature was found to have a positive effect on adsorption, thus carbon activated at 850°C produced more than twice the discolouration achieved with carbon activated at 600°C. The optimum bleaching temperature was found to be 124°C, beyond which feed temperature did not have an effect on the adsorptive capacity of carbon. Printers’ ink which was produced from coke was found to have comparable qualities with standard letter press ink. Recycling of bottom-of-thebarrel petroleum sludge as demonstrated here is certainly more eco-friendly than disposal in a landfill and should be encouraged.
