Abstract: The metal elements in residue mainly exist in polar components such as resin and asphaltene. Based on the electrification characteristics of the polar components, the method of applying electric field was proposed to enhance the demetalization of residue, so as to improve its properties and increase its comprehensive utilization value. The effects of mass ratio of solvent to oil, electric field intensity and electric field distribution on the removal of iron, calcium, nickel and vanadium in vacuum residue were investigated. The results show that increasing the solvent-oil ratio, increasing the electric field intensity and adopting reasonable electric field arrangement are beneficial to the removal of metal in residue. Under the action of electric field，the asphaltene rich in nickel and vanadium moves, accumulates and settles towards the wall of the tank, while the resins rich in iron and calcium moves and settles towards the electrode.

Key words: residue, electric field, metal, asphaltenes, resins