Distillation Cuts Research Articles

Characterization and impact of oxygenates in post-consumer plastic waste-derived pyrolysis oils on steam cracking process efficiency

Mechanical recycling of mixed packaging waste has limitations due to challenging separation into pure polyolefin streams which often leads to low quality recyclates. A solution to improve overall recycling rates of polyolefins is chemical recycling. One promising approach is conversion into a liquid product via pyrolysis and subsequent steam cracking of the pyrolysis oil towards light olefins. In this study, distilled fractions of pyrolysis oils from PE and PP-rich waste were characterized via GC × GC including normal and reversed-phase column configurations with a special focus on oxygenated components. Distilled pyrolysis oils were subsequently steam cracked in 20/80 weight‐based blends with conventional naphtha. All pyrolysis oil samples contained substantial amounts of oxygenates (1–10 wt%) which poses a huge challenge for steam cracker feedstocks and it was found that ketones are the most prevailing oxygenate group. Steam cracking experiments showed slightly increased ethylene yields of the blends compared to pure fossil naphtha, with the PE-derived samples outperforming the PP-derived samples. Furthermore, diesel-range distillation cuts led to higher formation of heavy products compared to the naphtha-range cuts. Increased formation of CO was observed as a consequence of the substantial oxygen contamination which can be a deal-breaker in industrial steam crackers. This work shows that distilled pyrolysis oils with conventional naphtha are promising steam cracking feedstocks if intermediate processing steps are performed to remove the oxygenates and other impurities using, for instance, hydrotreatment. With the findings of this work, such upgrading processes can be designed in a more effective way.

Parametric studies on fractionation column design for the separation of plastic waste pyrolysis oil into valuable fuels

The increased global consumption of plastics prompts concerns about disposal methods and management. The castoff plastics (of any kind) majorly end up in landfills or are incinerated or disposed of into the oceans. However, these methods are not sustainable in the long run and harm the ecosystem. A better approach to tackle these wastes is the need of the hour, as the climate change crisis negatively impacts the environment. In this work, a process is ideated and implemented in Aspen Plus® V12.0, which involves the simulation of a fractionation column with a feed that is obtained by the pyrolysis of the waste plastic to yield an array of distillate cuts consisting of different hydrocarbon mixtures. Analysis of the fractionation column performance with sieve and bubble-cap tray configurations and the effect of tray efficiency, temperature, pressure, and other factors on the composition of the hydrocarbon mixture in different product streams were studied and outlined with the equilibrium tray and rate-based calculation mode. A techno-economic analysis of the process was also performed, and the relevant comparative analyses were illustrated and outlined.

Maximizing Sustainable aviation fuel usage through optimization of distillation cut points and blending

Sustainable aviation fuel pathways do not generally yield selective synthetic blend components in the aviation turbine fuel distillation range. Here we discuss a methodology for maximizing the sustainable aviation fuel yield from a pathway and the respective blend ratio with a petroleum-derived fuel by varying distillation cut points. These cut points are typically unique for each combination of feedstock and conversion technology and are essential independent variables for fuel finishing. The resultant cut point variations create a Pareto front, illuminating a competition between yield and blend ratio limits, i.e., the boundary where key operability properties are on the specification limit. Computational and experimental examples are given herein. In the computational case, eight bulk properties are calculated for a surrogate composition to simultaneously predict the competition between distillation yield and blend limit, with 10 points along the Pareto front experimentally verified. In the experimental optimization example, this methodology has been applied to an actual product stream currently under development. Relative to a third-party distillation cut recommendation, the method here yielded 37 %v more renewable carbon into the SAF fraction, while also affording a greater margin to property specification limits. This article shares the optimization process which can impact SAF qualification, the relative corresponding diesel and gasoline fractions, and business strategy.

Non-Conventional Cuts in Batch Distillation to Brazilian Spirits (cachaça) Production: A Computational Simulation Approach

In this work, an algorithm was developed to determine different possibilities of distillation cuts to support productivity and improve the final quality of cachaça, a Brazilian spirit beverage. The distillation process was simulated using the Aspen Plus® software, considering a wide range of fermented musts compositions available in the literature obtained by fermentation with different yeast strains. Twenty-four simulations were carried out considering eight compounds as follows: water and ethanol (major compounds); acetic acid, acetaldehyde, ethyl acetate, 1-propanol, isobutanol, and isoamyl alcohol (minor compounds). The calculations considered a long-time process, i.e., until almost all the ethanol in the fermented must was distilled. The algorithm enabled the identification of countless distilling cuts, resulting in products with different alcoholic grades and process yields. One fermented must became viable to produce cachaça after the suggested non-traditional method of cuts proposed in this work. Furthermore, the non-traditional distilling cut provided a productivity gain of more than 50%. Finally, the ratio of acetaldehyde and ethanol concentration was the key parameter to determine whether the fermented musts could provide products meeting cachaça’s legislation.

Elucidating NO coupling effects on ignition of toluene reference fuels by chemical functional group analysis

Derived cetane number (DCN), Research and Motor Octane Numbers (RON and MON) have been fundamentally analyzed using Quantitative Structure-Property Relationship (QSPR) regression models with key chemical functional groups. Both RON and MON exhibit strong sensitivities to the abundances of (CH2)n and benzyl-type groups but lack sensitivity to the CH3 group, most dominant in real gasolines. Residual and EGR gases contain NOx known to synergize with fuel autoignition chemistry. Two TRF mixtures having high and low aromatic content but sharing the same RON and MON values were used to evaluate NOx coupling effects. DCN measurements with NO addition were found to be strongly correlated with the abundance of the (CH2)n group. Similar experiments of 200 ppm NO in a Rapid Compression Machine show promotion (inhibition) of ignition for the high (low) aromatic TRF fuel. Kinetic modeling attributes the promotion to the NONO2 interconversion reactions, NO + HO2 = NO2 + OH, CH3 + NO2 = CH3O + NO and NO2 + H = NO + OH. The inhibitive effect relates specifically to low temperature kinetics and high NO loading conditions, leading to the formation of meta-stable species (e.g. CH3 + NO2 (+M) = CH3NO2 (+M)) that decelerate the rate of conversion of HO2 to more reactive OH radicals. The coupling of NO with real gasolines depends on chemical composition and temperature conditions not only encompassed by RON and MON criteria, but by the chemical functional group characteristics. The relevance of this finding to the significance of preferential vaporization of multi-component gasolines on low-speed pre-ignition (LSPI) is discussed. Within the context of chemical functional group distributions of five distillation cuts of a marketed ethanol-free gasoline determined by NMR spectroscopy, the analyses identify considerable variations of key functionalities with fuel distillation properties, indicating chemical kinetic autoignition behaviors that are dependent on preferential vaporization.

Assaying of lube oil and petroleum distillation cuts for associated naphthenic acids and other selected properties

Assaying of lube oil and petroleum distillation cuts for associated naphthenic acids and other selected properties

Viscosity and Density of Narrow Distillation Cuts from Refined Petroleum- and Synthetic-Derived Distillates in the -60 to +60 °C Range.

Aviation turbine fuel (jet fuel) must remain fluid enough for use at low temperatures typically experienced during high-altitude flights. The viscosity-temperature relationship of petroleum-derived jet fuel is described by the MacCoull correlation in ASTM D341. The maximum kinematic viscosity of jet fuel at -20 °C is regulated by specification, but for long-distance flights, viscosity of <12 mm2 s-1 at -40 °C is important. For synthesized paraffinic kerosene (SPK) to be approved as a synthetic jet fuel, compliance with these viscosity limits is imperative. A petroleum-based kerosene and SPK from wax hydrocracking were distilled into narrow cut (5 °C range) fractions, and for each narrow cut, density, viscosity, and refractive index values were measured over the temperature range from +60 to -60 °C. The viscosity-temperature dependences of the petroleum-derived and synthetic narrow cuts were described with comparable accuracy (relative deviation <5%) by the MacCoull correlation. Calculation of kinematic viscosity at -40 °C by extrapolating data measured at ≥-20 °C underpredicted viscosity for >200 °C boiling kerosene cuts, with a maximum relative deviation of 6.6%. The freezing point is another jet fuel property that is regulated by specification. Good agreement (±1.3 °C) was found between the end of the melting endotherm obtained by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and the freezing point determined according to ASTM D2386. Local maxima/minima in the freezing point of distillation cuts with increasing boiling point were observed and could be related to the freezing point characteristics of the n-alkanes.

Multi-objective evaluation of freshly distilled brandy: Characterisation and distribution patterns of key odour-active compounds.

The characterisation and distribution patterns of key odour-active compounds in head, heart1, heart2, tail, and stillage cuts of freshly distilled brandy were investigated by gas chromatography–olfactometry-mass spectrometry coupled with aroma extract dilution analysis (AEDA) and chemometrics analysis. Results from AEDA showed that there were 50, 61, 48, 25, and 18 odour-active compounds in the head, heart1, heart2, tail, and stillage cuts, respectively. Besides, 19, 22, 11, 5, and 4 quantified compounds with odour activity values ≥ 1, respectively, were considered to be potential contributors to the aroma profile of different distillation cuts. Especially, the chemometrics analysis illustrated the heart1 fraction was characterized by 3-methylbutanol, ethyl hexanoate, 1-hexanol, ethyl octanoate, benzaldehyde, ethyl decanoate, and 2-phenylethyl acetate; (E)-hex-3-en-1-ol, (Z)-hex-3-en-1-ol, and 2-phenylethyl acetate greatly contributed to the characteristics of the heart2 cut. Furthermore, different volatile compounds with a variety of boiling points and solubilities followed diverse distillation rules during the second distillation. Our findings may provide a rational basis for concentrating more pleasant aroma components contributing to brandy.

Molecular Kinetic Modeling of Catalytic Naphtha Reforming: A Review of Complexities and Solutions

ABSTRACT Kinetic modeling is receiving more attention in recent years due to the availability of advanced computational tools and enhancement in the accuracy of analytical techniques. These advances facilitate investigation of the chemical transformations on a molecular level rather than on the bulk properties, such as density, distillation cuts, or octane number. Molecular kinetic modeling of catalytic naphtha reforming is of particular interest as it processes light petroleum fraction that enable full molecular-level analysis. Moreover, the process is an important source of valuable chemicals, hydrogen, and high-octane transportation fuel. Over the years, the goal of the kinetic modeling has evolved from predicting the octane number or other properties of reformate to tracking a particular molecule, such as benzene. Several kinetic models are published in the last decade – each of them strived to adopt somewhat different approach either in the complexity of proposed reaction network or in the methodology of estimating the kinetic parameters. The approaches that have been considered in formulating the rate expressions include: (i) classical power-law model; (ii) models based on Langmuir-Hinshelwood–Hougen–Watson kinetics; (iii) structure-oriented kinetics approach; and (iv) single-event fundamental model. The review presents a systematic comparison of these kinetic models in depth as well as their limitations. An appraisal of the mathematical methods for estimation of kinetic parameters and the computational tools employed for determination of the numerical values of these parameters is made. Finally, the current trends and outlook of this field is presented.

Understanding the molecular composition of petroleum and its distillation cuts

Because petroleum is one of the most complex mixtures in the world, complete characterization becomes a difficult task due to its molecular diversity and its different physicochemical properties. One way to address this problem is through the comprehensive assessment of crude oil distillation cuts. The correlation of molecular data with the physicochemical properties of petroleum can be employed in prediction models and process simulators in the oil industry. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to detail the chemical compositions of the selected crude oils and their distillation cuts using powerful analytical techniques to obtain chemical information about these matrices. A set of 48 petroleum samples, that is, 10 whole crude oil samples and their distillation cuts in different ranges of distillation temperatures (8 naphtha samples: 15–150 °C; 10 kerosene samples: 150–250 °C; 10 diesel samples: 150–400 °C; 10 gas oil samples: 400–540 °C), were analyzed via comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography coupled to time-of-flight mass spectrometry (GC × GC − TOFMS) and GC × GC coupled with flame detector ionization (GC × GC − FID), here with the aim of a group-type identification and quantification. A repeatability evaluation of the quantification method was carried out; the most abundant classes showed good precision, with a relative standard deviation (RSD) lower than 30%. Naphtha and kerosene fractions were analyzed directly without fractionation. The GC × GC data provided a large amount of information for assessing the quality of these matrices, offering an innovative proposal in the context of oil assessment, this can help reduce the number of analytical techniques that are traditionally employed in the complete characterization of crude oils and their derivatives. Quantitative data by GC × GC − FID enabled the construction of simulated distillation (SIMDIS) curves for each whole crude oil. This work achieved detailed characterization of different Brazilian petroleum types in a wide range of API gravities, distinct basins and wells, providing information for the oil industry to make predictions and facilitate the prevention and mitigation of upstream, midstream, and downstream activities. The present study offers an innovative and practical proposal in the context of oil assessment aiming to reduce the number of analytical techniques that are traditionally employed in crude oil and its derivatives assay. Therefore, with faster and more reliable data, GC × GC has become a relevant technique in understanding the molecular chemical composition of real samples of crude oils and their distillation cuts by acquiring a substantial amount of information in a single analysis, representing a potential analytical tool within petroleomics.

Theoretical determination of distillation curves of gasoline, ethanol and ethyl tert-butyl ether ternary blends from the experimental distillation curve of gasoline

It is now environmentally desirable and legally mandatory to add renewable fuels such as ethanol or ethyl tert-butyl ether to gasoline. However, biofuels affect, among other properties, the distillation curve of gasoline, which is subject to strict regulations. This work presents a simple mathematical model capable of accurately predicting the influence that the addition of these oxygenates has on the distillation curve. In order to address this issue, it is essential to find a simple mathematical correlation between the boiling temperatures of the hydrocarbons present in gasoline and the properties (boiling temperature and volume or molar concentration of ethanol) of the corresponding azeotropic mixtures formed with ethanol. Power functions have been assumed to model the temperature composition diagrams of the vapour-liquid equilibrium. Experimental data previously published by these and other authors have been used to fit and validate the model. The results provided by the mathematical model can be of great interest to understand the process of fuel evaporation in spark-ignition engines or the adjustment of distillation cuts in refineries, in order to comply with the regulations, in terms of the distillation curve, after adding ethanol or ethyl tert-butyl ether.

Experimental assessment of the impact of variation in jet fuel properties on spray flame liftoff height

Ensuring efficient and clean combustion performance of liquid-fueled engines requires comprehension of the influence of fuel composition and properties on flame behavior, such as flame liftoff height (LOH) and lean blowout limit (LBO). Spray flame stability is strongly affected by both the fuel reactivity and physical properties. Herein, the flame stability mechanism represented by LOH is investigated for seven jet turbine fuels, including surrogate, alternative, and conventional jet fuels, using a laboratory spray burner. Based on the experimental observations, the current work introduces a new analysis, which provides insight into the competing/complementing processes that occur in a multi-phase reacting system and highlights the key properties important in spray flame dynamics, accounting for both the fuel spray/vaporization as well as the chemical reactivity, to explain the relative differences in LOH of complex multicomponent fuels. Results show that spray flame stabilization occurs when there is a balance between the local spray burning velocity and the incoming jet velocity, which is strongly associated with laminar flame speed and the relative amount of liquid and gaseous fuel crossing the flame preheat region. Using a multicomponent droplet evaporation model, it was observed that preferential vaporization of the lighter and more reactive species of the simple surrogate fuels contribute to a shorter lifted flame as compared to fuels consisting of heavier and/or less reactive components. The LOH of real jet fuels showed strong sensitivity to droplet vaporization and mixing, which is controlled by the fuels’ volatility (i.e., boiling temperature at 50% distillation volume) and atomized droplet size, and to a lesser extent the reactivity represented by laminar flame speed. The enhanced linearity in the correlation of 50% vapor distilled compared to the other distillation cuts suggests that preferential vaporization could play an important role in defining the LOH stabilization mechanism even for more complex fuels.

High Resolution Mass Spectrometry Advances in Oil Spill Analysis

Abstract Oil is a complex mixture of alkanes, cycloalkanes, aromatics, nitrogen/sulfur/oxygen (N/S/O) heterocycles, alcohols, ketones, carboxylic acids, porphyrins, and myriad possible combinations therein. Once introduced into the environment, some weathering processes reduce this complexity through evaporative losses (loss to atmosphere) as well as water washing of low ring number aromatics, N/S/O heterocycles, alcohols, ketones, and carboxylic acids (loss to seawater). However, Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative (GoMRI) supported research has revealed that the contributions of these mechanisms to the reduction of molecular complexity are dwarfed by that of oxidative weathering processes (photo- and bio-oxidation) that increase the compositional complexity of the transformed oil. Because these oxidative processes increase the complexity of an already analytically challenging organic mixture and the boiling point of transformed species is higher than that of the precursors, conventional analytical techniques yield little insight into the identification of oil spill transformation products. Despite the challenge, recent advances in analytical science now allow molecular-level insight into these complex systems irrespective of initial (unaltered) or transformed-product boiling point; these advances were largely made possible by GoMRI supported research efforts. They expose a continuum of oxidized transformation products that span oil-soluble, oil-soluble interfacially-active, and water-soluble species. The isolation and characterization of oil-soluble, interfacially-active species confirm a long-standing theory that photo-oxidation generates oil-soluble surfactant-like species, which limit the effectiveness of dispersants. Furthermore, photo-oxidation specific microcosms are shown to generate unique species that are also found in field samples. Bio-oxidation only microcosms were found to generate very different, oil-soluble species; thus, photo-oxidation is implicated in the formation of transformation products in the field. Finally, analyses of photooxidized distillate cuts as well as asphaltene samples confirm prior reports of photo-induced polymerization and photo-cracking of native petroleum molecules. Here, we summarize the advances in the molecular-level understanding of oil over the past 8 years, in the context of oil spill science, by high resolution mass spectrometry, and we highlight potential opportunities for future research, as well as knowledge gaps that must be addressed for future spills.

Wax Hydrocracking over Pt/SiO2–Al2O3 at 2 MPa: Product Characterization and Its Implications for Catalysis

Hydrocracking of Fischer–Tropsch wax can be used to produce kerosene-range products that can be blended in jet fuel. Performing the hydrocracking at pressures near that of Fischer–Tropsch synthesis could be beneficial for some refinery scenarios, as unconverted H₂ from Fischer–Tropsch synthesis can be used for hydrocracking without further compression. At lower pressure, the equilibrium alkene content during hydrocracking is increased and this could affect the product distribution. In particular, the degree of isomerization of the kerosene-range products affects the properties of hydrocracked kerosene to be used for jet fuel. The purpose of this study was to gain a better understanding of the isomer distribution obtained by wax hydrocracking. Hydrocracking of paraffin wax was carried out over a 0.5 wt % Pt/SiO₂–Al₂O₃ catalyst at a pressure of 2 MPa. Detailed chromatographic analysis of narrow distillation cuts of the obtained kerosene-range product was used to obtain isomer distributions for the C₈, C₉, and C₁₁ alkanes formed during hydrocracking. While the observed carbon number and isomer distributions were generally what would be expected from the hydrocracking and hydroisomerization mechanism, there were two observations that could not be explained in this way. (i) The isomer distributions were not equilibrated and were dominated by 2- and 3-methylalkanes. (ii) There were also percentage levels of cyclic compounds. An increased contribution of Pt catalysis under the chosen low-pressure conditions contributed to the observed deviations. The formation of cyclic compounds could be attributed to the increased contribution of Pt catalysis at 2 MPa. Although some speculation was offered about what could have affected the isomer distribution, the prevalence of 2- and 3-methylalkanes in the product remained unexplained.

Adapting of a Method for Qualitative and Quantitative Determination of Squalene in Distillation Cuts of Sunflower Oil

Squalene is a naturally-occurring dihydro-triterpene hydrocarbon (C30H50) with six double bonds, which is an intermediate in the biosynthesis of phytosterol or cholesterol in plants or animals. The sources of squalene and the main methods forsqualene production and determination are consideredin brief. Sunflower oil distillation cuts have been selected as the subject of the study, since they area promising secondary raw material for the industrial squalene production. The methods of sample preparation and quantification of squalene in sunflower oil distillation cuts applying gas chromatography in combination with mass spectrometry have been adapted. The aim of the studyis to create an integrated approach to determining the qualitative and quantitative content of squalene in distillation cuts of vegetable oils. To achieve the goal of the study, the following tasks have been solved: – Amethod of sample preparation of distillation cuts for determination of squalene has been adapted; – A method of qualitative and quantitative determination of squalene in distillation cuts has been modified. As a result of this study, a technique for sample preparation of distillation cuts was proposed as well as a method for the qualitative and quantitative (absolute calibrationmethod) determination of squalene in distillation cuts of sunflower oil. To implement the technique, a Kristall 5000 gas chromatograph equipped with a mass spectrometric detector was used. Squalene and background components were recorded using the NIST 11 mass spectral database.

Narrow distillation cuts for an improved characterisation of crude oil: an insight on heteroatoms in heavy fraction molecules

Narrow distillation cuts for an improved characterisation of crude oil: an insight on heteroatoms in heavy fraction molecules

Fischer‐Tropsch Wax from Renewable Resources as an Excellent Feedstock for the Steam‐Cracking Process

AbstractA heavy side‐product of the Fischer‐Tropsch (FT) process called waxes are potential renewable feedstocks for the steam‐cracking process. Samples of FT wax and distillation cuts thereof were investigated using laboratory pyrolysis in order to compare their pyrolysis performance with traditional steam‐cracking feedstocks, i.e., primary naphtha and hydrocracking products. At 815 °C, waxes provided significantly higher yields of the desired products ethylene and propylene, and lower yields of oil compared to traditional feedstocks. The yields of waxes blended in traditional feedstocks and the sensitivity of cracking product yields to temperature and residence time were also examined experimentally.

Catalytic hydrocracking of a Mexican heavy oil on a MoS2/al2o3catalyst: II. Study of the transformation of isolated aromatics fraction obtained from SARA analysis

Catalytic hydrocracking of isolated aromatics fraction from a heavy crude oil was studied on a slurry batch reactor at isothermal conditions using 8.27 MPa H2 pressure, different temperatures (380 °C, 390 °C, and 400 °C), different reaction times (1.0 h, 2.5 h, and 4.0 h) and employing a sulfided Mo/γ-Al2O3 catalyst. The ASTM D2007 method had been applied to a Mexican heavy oil to obtain the aromatics fraction. Feedstock and products (gas and liquid) were analyzed by GC-MSD and GC-FID. Additionally, the liquid phase was analyzed by the ASTM D7169 method. A kinetic model was proposed to establish the effect of the processing the heavy cuts (gasoil, atmospheric residue, and vacuum residue) to light distillate cuts production (gas, naphtha and, kerosene). It was determined that the feedstock is composed of aromatics (mono, di, tri, or tetra-cycle) with alkyl tails, oxygenated aromatics, nitrogen aromatics, and sulfur aromatics. The catalytic hydrocracking products were saturate compounds and lower molecular weight aromatics; no coke was detected. The produced gas was composed by saturated compounds. The fitted kinetic parameters and the chromatographic analyses indicate that aromatics in feedstock were transformed following primary reactions in series. The main producers of naphtha were aromatics in kerosene and atmospheric residue, the reactions were dealkylation or hydrogenation; this after the opening of aromatic rings in the high molecular aromatics. The gas producers were substituted aromatics in the kerosene cut that is kept at the liquid phase during reaction, also, at high temperatures the hydrotreatment reactions of aromatic compounds in gasoil produces gas.

Narrow distillation cuts for an improved characterisation of crude oil: an insight on heteroatoms in heavy fraction molecules

A light Arabian crude oil was separated by distillation into 27 fractions, including 25 very narrow distillation cuts, the light ends, and a vacuum residue (VR), which were extensively characterised using standard methods. Overall, the properties matched well with those predicted by H/CAMS software, indicating a successful distillation. Then, quantitative 13C NMR spectroscopy, SIMDIS, and molecular weight (MW) distribution by mass spectrometry were used to derive an improved correlation between the MW and boiling point for the entire crude oil, in particular for the VR fraction. This allowed determining the mass fractions of sulphur and nitrogen containing compounds across the crude oil boiling range, reaching up to approximately 100% in the VR fraction. The corresponding low abundance of pure hydrocarbon molecules in the VR fraction is important for modelling purposes and processing technologies. [Received: May 3, 2019; Accepted: July 24, 2019]

Comparison of molecular properties of saturate and aromatic fractions of Turkish and Iraqi crude oil residues

The chemical characterization of crude oil fractions is important for the petroleum research and complex structure of crude oil residue keeps studies ongoing. An analytical method which gives the composition of residue is not available yet and a combination of facile methods that elucidates the structure of residue is the most important in the petroleum research.This work reveals the detailed analyses of saturate and aromatic fractions of the selected crude oil atmospheric residues (ARs). Molecular structure of the saturate and the aromatic fractions was investigated by a combination of High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy techniques. In this study, saturate and aromatic fractions were physically divided into sub-fractions by HPLC and sub-fractions were examined in depth according to the hydrogen type using 1H NMR. Moreover, AR maltenes and their saturates were analyzed by High Temperature-Simulated Distillation (HT-SIMDIS), in order to deduce carbon number (CN) ranges of the AR distillation cut points in weight percentages. The study revealed the distribution of aliphatic and aromatic hydrogen types in sub-fractions of the saturates and the aromatics of the selected ARs. Mono, di- and tri-aromatic hydrogen types of each sub-fraction were also disclosed. For all sub-fractions, total aromaticity increases in the order of increasing elution sequence. Celikli AR maltene fraction has molecules that have CN in the range of 14–30 or less for half of its total weight and contains mostly low boiling structures.