Abstract
A 1.8 m×2.5 cm reciprocating-plate countercurrent extraction column was evaluated for the preparation of WSF (water-soluble fractions) from Flotta North Sea light crude oil. The energy input from the plate reciprocation speeds was found to be the main factor affecting the characteristics of the extracted WSF, and the throughputs of the stock solution or the ratio of seawater to crude oil had little effect on the concentration and composition of the extracted WSF. A combination of a reciprocation speed of 170 strokes/min, a seawater flow rate of 220 ml/min, and a crude oil flow rate of 2.9 ml/min produced a WSF stock solution with a total hydrocarbon concentration of 13.5±0.30 mg/kg (n=6) which was more reproducible than that made by a previously used large-scale batch extraction method. A settlement time of 5 h or less for the stock solution allowed a full separation of any dispersed droplets of crude oil from the aqueous phase under the above conditions, but further increases in reciprocation speeds caused difficulties in the final separation of this crude oil. The column extraction method was highly reproducible and gave a more concentrated WSF containing a higher proportion of alkanes than a WSF made by the batch extraction method. Low-boiling aromatics were the main components of the total extracted hydrocarbons of the WSF.
Published Version
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