Residual Oil Conversion Research Articles

Influence of acid and thermal treatment on regeneration of spent bleaching clay and conversion of residual oil to biodiesel

ABSTRACT Spent bleaching clay (SBC) is a hazardous waste produced by vegetable oil refining industries. SBC contains a residual oil (RO) with a lot of organic and inorganic impurities and its disposal leads to severe environmental consequences. In this study, SBC regeneration by extraction, acid modification and pyrolysis under various conditions and biodiesel production were studied. The GC-MS of the extracted RO shows that the fatty acid content is in conformity with crude oil and is appropriate for biodiesel production. FTIR was recorded in order to evaluate the main functional groups of fresh-, spent-, regenerated bleaching clay. The specific surface area (SSA) of fresh bleaching clay (FBC) (166.1 ± 1.7 m2/g) was lower than regenerated bleaching clay (RBC) one. The highest SSA (252.1 ± 1.7 m2/g) was revealed by pyrolysis at 550°C and activation with 10% sulfuric acid. Subsequent increase in the acid concentration and temperature of pyrolysis caused a decrease in the SSA. The heavy metals concentration in RBC was lower than the limits for activated bleaching clay in the National Food Safety Standard. Hence, RBC effectively copes with heavy metal removal. The peroxide, anisidine, acid values and oxidation stability of oil bleached with RBC are comparable to the FBC. Implications: The disposal of spent bleaching clay from vegetable oil refining industries has been recognized as a significant environmental issue. After adsorbing the impurities, spent bleaching clay becomes contaminated with a high concentration of organic and inorganic substances, including residual oils, fatty acids, phospholipids, and potentially toxic heavy metals. This makes spent bleaching clay a hazardous waste and improper disposal can lead to severe environmental consequences. Due to the potential environmental harm caused by spent bleaching clay disposal, it is crucial for vegetable oil refining industries to adopt proper waste management practices. Overall, the proper management and disposal of spent bleaching clay is essential to prevent environmental contamination and safeguard human health.

Unveiling ZrO2/natural zeolite catalytic performance on hydrocracking palm oil mill effluent residue

Palm oil mill effluent (POME) is the largest liquid waste from crude palm oil production. This liquid waste still contains a lot of chemical components, solid deposits, and oil which is dangerous if released directly into the environment. The residual oil and grease components contained in POME can be further extracted and converted into fuel fractions. This study investigates the conversion of residual oil from POME into fuel fractions through hydrocracking. A ZrO2/Sarulla natural zeolite (SNZ) catalyst was used, characterized by a particle size of 1-1.5 µm, a surface area of 73.3 m2/g, a pore volume of 0.161 cc/g, and a pore diameter of 3.35 nm. The effect of catalyst mass was studied, with the total conversion increasing to a certain extent with increasing catalyst mass, however, an increase in coke formation decreased the product yield. The highest gasoline fraction selectivity was obtained with a catalyst mass of 0.09 wt% (~42%), while the kerosene fraction was most obtained with a catalyst mass of 0.15 wt% (~40%). The liquid product with a catalyst mass of 0.15 wt% had the highest HHV of 44.2 MJ/kg, a 12% increase from the HHV of POME oil residue (39.4 MJ/kg). The results demonstrate the potential of using residual oil from POME as a source for fuel production and the use of natural zeolite-based catalysts as hydrocracking catalysts.

Progress and prospect of carbon dioxide capture, utilization and storage in CNPC oilfields

The development history of carbon capture, utilization and storage for enhanced oil recovery (CCUS-EOR) in China is comprehensively reviewed, which consists of three stages: research and exploration, field test and industrial application. The breakthrough understanding of CO2 flooding mechanism and field practice in recent years and the corresponding supporting technical achievements of CCUS-EOR project are systematically described. The future development prospects are also pointed out. After nearly 60 years of exploration, the theory of CO2 flooding and storage suitable for continental sedimentary reservoirs in China has been innovatively developed. It is suggested that C7–C15 are also important components affecting miscibility of CO2 and crude oil. The mechanism of rapid recovery of formation energy by CO2 and significant improvement of block productivity and recovery factor has been verified in field tests. The CCUS-EOR reservoir engineering design technology for continental sedimentary reservoir is established. The technology of reservoir engineering parameter design and well spacing optimization has been developed, which focuses on maintaining miscibility to improve oil displacement efficiency and uniform displacement to improve sweep efficiency. The technology of CO2 capture, injection and production process, whole-system anticorrosion, storage monitoring and other whole-process supporting technologies have been initially formed. In order to realize the efficient utilization and permanent storage of CO2, it is necessary to take the oil reservoir in the oil-water transition zone into consideration, realize the large-scale CO2 flooding and storage in the area from single reservoir to the overall structural control system. The oil reservoir in the oil-water transition zone is developed by stable gravity flooding of injecting CO2 from structural highs. The research on the storage technology such as the conversion of residual oil and CO2 into methane needs to be carried out.

Valorizing municipal organic waste to produce biodiesel, biogas, organic fertilizer, and value-added chemicals: an integrated biorefinery approach

Economically viable alternatives for utilizing municipal solid waste are still a major challenge for society, especially in less developed countries. A potential pathway is using the organic fraction of municipal solid waste (OFMSW) to produce energy, biofuels, organic fertilizers, and value-added chemical compounds. We evaluated an integrated biorefinery structure for the treatment of used cooking oil, pruning biomass, and organic and food residues to produce biodiesel, biogas, organic compost, 1,3-propanediol, and electrical energy at the campus of the Federal University of Pernambuco, which was considered a case study to represent a small city of Northeastern Brazil. A pilot transesterification plant, a biodigestion unit, and a compost unit were installed to process 3.3 tons daily of OFMSW produced. Additionally, research was carried out to produce 1,3-propanediol on a laboratory scale from residual glycerol. The quality of the biodiesel generated from the used cooking oil met national technical standards and the conversion of residual oil into biodiesel reached 93%. The average biogas production was 0.584 ± 0.176 Nm3 kgVS−1, with an average methane production of 50% generating up to 44 MWh of electricity per year. The organic compost produced met the quality requirements of organic fertilizers, such as maturation and nutrient contents. Glycerol treatment increased the yield of 1,3-propanediol production. Our findings demonstrate that the integrated biorefinery will lead to a reduction of US$ 80,000 in the costs of OFMSW management. More importantly, this approach generates incentives for circular economy initiatives in small municipalities in Brazil and other less developed countries.

Synthesis of the ZnO-Ni0.5Zn0.5Fe2O4-Fe2O3 magnetic catalyst in pilot-scale by combustion reaction and its application on the biodiesel production process from oil residual

A magnetic catalyst with composition ZnO-Ni0.5Zn0.5Fe2O4-Fe2O3 was synthesized by a combustion reaction on a pilot-scale and applied in the conversion of residual oil into biodiesel by simultaneous transesterification and esterification reactions (TES). For that, statistical analysis of the factors that influence the process (catalyst concentration, alcoholic route, and temperature) was evaluated by 23 factorial experimental design. The ZnO-Ni0.5Zn0.5Fe2O4-Fe2O3 magnetic catalyst was characterized in terms of the structure, morphology, magnetic, TPD-NH3 acidity analysis and catalytic properties. The results indicate the formation of a catalyst with a surface area of 52.9 m2g−1, and density of the sample was 4.8 g/cm3 which is consisted of a mixture of the phases containing 55.87% Fe2O3, 36.96% Ni0.5Zn0.5Fe2O4, and 7.16% ZnO. The magnetic characterization indicated that the synthesized catalyst is ferromagnetic with magnetization 6.12 emu/g and coercive field of 5.3 G. In the TES reactions, the residual oil was active showing conversion to 96.16% ethyl esters and with a long useful life maintaining sustained activity after two consecutive reuse cycles with the conversion of 95.27%, 93.07% and 76.93%, respectively. The experimental design was significant and presented a 95% reliability level. The statistical analysis identified (+1) and (−1) as higher and lower level variables, respectively. The amount of catalyst used was equal to 5%, at 200 °C in methyl alcohol (alcoholic route). In summary, a new catalyst composed of a mixture of magnetically active phases was developed and successfully applied in biodiesel’s synthesis from residual oil. Undoubtedly these results have a positive and significant impact on the environment and to society as a whole.

Craqueamento termo-catalítico da mistura óleo de fritura usado-lodo de estamparia têxtil para a produção de óleo com baixo índice de acidez

In this work, cracking experiments were performed to carry out the thermal conversion of the mixture of used frying oil and textile stamping sludge in continuous reactor. The textile stamping sludge was used to catalyze the reaction of thermal cracking. The physical and chemical properties of the oil produced were analyzed. Among the results of this analysis the level of acidity in the range of 12 mg KOH/g stands out. Low levels of acidity as this particular mean better quality oil. In this regard it is important that further researches on processes of conversion of residual oil occur.

Catalytic Aquaprocessing of Arab Light Vacuum Residue via Short Space Times

Finding new economic means of upgrading residuals is becoming increasingly important. In this work, the upgrading of Arabian Light vacuum residue under asphaltene stability limit by steam catalytic cracking using unsupported ultra-dispersed (UD) alkali and a non-noble transition metals catalyst is investigated in a continuous open tubular reactor pilot plant. The experiments are conducted with K/Ni UD catalyst under 260 psig at process temperatures of 430–445 °C and LHSV of 5–10.5 h–1. Experimental results showed a relative increase in the residual oil conversion of 13% by Aquaprocessing at the minimum asphaltene stability limit when compared to conventional thermal cracking. With the use of O18 labeled water, it is confirmed that the UD catalyst during reaction is capable of dissociating water into hydrogen and oxygen radicals at near visbreaking conditions.

Transfer hydrocracking of heavy oil and its model compound

Transfer hydrocracking of Kuwait atmospheric residue (RC-KW) and its model compounds with nickel supported on active carbon catalyst was examined under several reaction conditions. In the case of RC-KW cracking, the yield of asphaltene in product oil is very low (almost zero) with small amount of hydrogen consumption (100 m 3 (STP)/kL of oil, kL=m 3 ), whereas coke yield is relatively high (about 10 wt%). As the hydrogen pressure increased, the level of hydrogen consumption and sulfur removal increased, while the coke yield and the conversion of residual oil decreased

Preparation and Properties of Fluid Cracking Catalysts for Residual Oil Conversion

Abstract Catalytic cracking of petroleum to produce gasoline began in about 1912. The early pioneering work was carried out by Eugene Houdry [1]. Modern fluid catalytic cracking (FCC) was conceived at Exxon and commercially developed in about 1940 [2] using amorphous catalysts. Fluid catalysts are small spherical particles ranging from 40 to 150 um in diameter with acid sites capable of cracking large petroleum molecules to products boiling in the gasoline range. One advantage of the FCC process is the absence of the diffusion limitations present in conventional gas oil cracking due to the small size of the catalyst particle. Since 1964 virtually all catalysts contain faujasite, a stable, large pore, Y-type zeolite dispersed in a silica/alumina matrix [3]. The catalytic aspects of contemporary FCC processes have been reviewed by Venuto and Habib [4], Gates, Katzer, and Schuit [5], Magee and Blazek [6], and Magee [7]. A more recent update of refinery trends has been made available by Blazek [8].

Residual Oil Conversion Process

Residual Oil Conversion Process

Residual Oil Conversion Process

Residual Oil Conversion Process