Abstract

The concept of advanced technology for processing heavy petroleum feedstock is disclosed, which consists in the chemical pretreatment of the feedstock by reacting with ozone followed by decomposition of ozonolysis products under exposure to ionizing radiation of various types. Experimental data to support the basics of the concept are presented.

Introduction

The enhancement of the current classical petroleum refining processes deals with the development of novel high-performance catalytic systems and more perfect manufacturing equipment, which insignificantly increases the yield and quality of a commercial product. The existing views on the progress in petroleum processing do not take into account a growing tendency towards deterioration of produced oils and do not consider environmental problems due to thermal pollution. According to world expert evaluation, the quality of produced oils by mid-XXI century will approach that of high-viscosity crude oils and natural bitumens. This will necessitate the design and implementation of manufacturing processes similar to the Flexicoking process. The experience of commercial operation of natural-bitumen processing units has been gained only in Canada [1–5].

Technical and economic assessments of basic processes for the manufacturing of synthetic oil from Athabaska bitumens show that about 30% of energy containing in a produced bitumen is consumed for its isolation from the rock and upgrading [3]. The carbonization process of natural bitumen in a fluidized bed of coke followed by its gasification is unfavorable because of environmental impact: heat emissions into the atmosphere are about 40% of energy input to the process, and sulfur dioxide emissions reach 3.2 kg/m3 of bitumen processed [1,2].

The complexity of processing of heavy hydrocarbon feedstock close in properties to high-viscosity crude oils and natural bitumens is due to the specific features of its composition and structure.

To date, a great amount of experimental information has been gathered and basic theoretical concepts on the inner colloid structure of petroleum-like systems have been developed. According to the current ideas, petroleums and petroleum-like systems (heavy petroleum bottoms) are thermodynamically labile, paramagnetic, associated solutions characterized by high concentrations of resinous-asphaltenic substances and hetero (sulfur, nitrogen, and oxygen) compounds. The resinous-asphaltenic substances form the disperse phase of a petroleum-like system in which the dispersing medium is composed of high-molecular-weight hydrocarbons, predominantly of a hybrid structure, and sulfur compounds.

The dispersed phase of petroleum-like systems is

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