19-08-2014, 10:48 AM
The major fraction of the crude oil obtained as vacuum residue which is conventionally upgraded to different products like gas, gasoline, gas oil etc. The different processes used for this upgradation are visbreaking, delayed coking, hydrocracking etc. The chemical composition of VR is complex. Physical methods of fractionation indicate high proportions of asphaltenes and resins, up to 50% or more. These fractions contain large amount of heteroatoms e.g. S, N, O and metallic constituents like Ni, V etc.
The vacuum residue (VR) is the residue obtained from petroleum after non-destructive vacuum distillation.
The major fraction of the crude oil obtained as vacuum residue which is conventionally upgraded to different products like gas, gasoline, gas oil etc. The different processes used for this upgradation are visbreaking, delayed coking, hydrocracking etc. The chemical composition of VR is complex. Physical methods of fractionation indicate high proportions of asphaltenes and resins, up to 50% or more. These fractions contain large amount of heteroatoms e.g. S, N, O and metallic constituents like Ni, V etc.
Microwave radiations, electromagnetic radiations of frequency 300MHz-30GHz, heat the materials due to dipole moment and ionic conduction. The upgradation of VR was done by irradiation with microwave.
The VR with low metal content didn’t show any conversion. The upgradation was tried with the additive which can interact with VR and microwave, like activated carbon. The VR showed conversion in the presence of activated carbon. The adsorption of VR on activated carbon showed C7-soluble adsorbed more compared to C7-insoluble asphaltene.