The development of durable road sealing materials capable of maintaining performance under combined mechanical and climatic loads remains a critical challenge for modern infrastructure. Conventional bitumen-based sealants exhibit limited resistance to high-temperature deformation, cracking, and adhesion degradation, leading to reduced service life. This study proposes a rheology-oriented approach to the design of polymer-reinforced bituminous sealants based on penetration-grade bitumen 50/70 and 70/100 modified with styrene–butadiene–styrene (SBS) copolymers up to 9 wt.% and reinforced with cellulose fibers. The rheological behavior of the developed composites was investigated using dynamic shear rheometry to determine the complex shear modulus (G*), phase angle (δ), and temperature–frequency dependencies in the range from −20 to +90 °C, while infrared spectroscopy was employed to assess intermolecular interactions. Adhesion performance was evaluated at different temperature. The modified systems demonstrated a 5–10-fold increase in G*/sinδ enhanced high-temperature stability, and improved adhesion and crack resistance compared to base bitumen. Based on the obtained rheological and performance indicators, the developed composition was approved for subsequent pilot-scale testing and field validation as a promising road sealing material.

The article addresses the challenges associated with processing heavy petroleum feedstock with high metal content in the Resid Fluid Catalytic Cracking (RFCC) unit of the Atyrau Oil Refinery. Elevated concentrations of iron, nickel, and vanadium were shown to cause rapid catalyst deactivation, deterioration of fluidization properties, and instability of the reactor–regenerator system. Analysis of industrial data revealed that the iron content in the feed significantly exceeded the design value, reaching 150 mg/kg, which resulted in increased catalyst consumption and reduced process efficiency. The industrial application of metal-passivating chemical reagents reduced the iron content by 48–62%, thereby improving catalyst performance and increasing the yield of target products. However, the use of these reagents is associated with high operating costs. Therefore, additional demetallization methods were investigated, particularly solvent deasphalting. Experimental studies on a pilot unit demonstrated that deasphalting reduced the concentrations of Fe, Ni, and V by 7–9 times and produced a deasphalted oil yield of 81.1 wt.%. The obtained product exhibited low Conradson carbon residue and improved quality, making it suitable as a feed component for catalytic cracking. An integrated approach combining chemical treatment and solvent deasphalting is proposed to improve refining efficiency and catalyst stability.

This paper examines the effect of gas oil fraction extraction depth from fuel oil on the physicochemical and performance properties of road bitumen. The study’s novelty lies in establishing the relationship between the seven-component chemical group composition of heavy residues and their oxidation kinetics. It has been experimentally demonstrated that using feedstock with a nominal viscosity (VU80) in the range of 20–80 s (corresponding to fractions of 480–525 °C) enables the production of bitumen that simultaneously meets the requirements of ASTM D946, EN 12591, and ST RK 1373. The paper substantiates an optimal “viscosity range” for processing non-standard feedstock, ensuring increased resistance of the finished product to thermal-oxidative aging.