Oil Medium Research Articles

Estimation of the gas hold up and flow regime of a bubble column reactor for the slurry phase hydrocracking of heavy oil

This study investigated gas hold up and flow regimes according to operating conditions (temperature, pressure, superficial gas velocity) for the design of a slurry phase hydrocracking reactor for heavy oil. Heating medium oil, vacuum residue (VR) and hydrocracking products were used in a bubble column reactor which had a diameter of 0.05 m and a height of 2.3 m. The results confirmed that the gas hold up increased and the flow regime transition point was delayed as VR was converted to a hydrocracking product (change in physical properties), and pressure also affected the flow regime transition. Using the dynamic gas disengagement method, the flow regime transition was observed in the actual hydrocracking reaction, and at the same time, it was confirmed that the hydrocracking reaction performance decreased. A VR slurry phase hydrocracking flow regime map is proposed by modifying the existing correlations, and a guide for reactor design and operation is suggested.

The Geoscience Frontier of Gulong Shale Oil: Revealing the Role of Continental Shale from Oil Generation to Production

The clay mineral content of Daqing Gulong shale is in the range of about 35%–45%, with particle sizes less than 0.0039 mm. The horizontal fluidity of oil in Gulong shale is poor, with near-zero vertical flowability. As a result, Gulong shale has been considered to lack commercial value. In recent years, however, interdisciplinary research in geoscience, percolation mechanics, thermodynamics, and surface mechanics has demonstrated that Gulong shale oil has a high degree of maturity and a high residual hydrocarbon content. The expulsion efficiency of Gulong shale in the high mature stage is 32%–48%. Favorable storage spaces in Gulong shale include connecting pores and lamellar fractures developed between and within organic matter and clay mineral complexes. The shale oil mainly occurs in micro- and nano-pores, bedding fractures, and lamellar fractures, with a high gas–oil ratio and medium–high movable oil saturation. Gulong shale has the characteristics of high hardness, a high elastic modulus, and high fracture toughness. This study achieves breakthroughs in the exploration and development of Gulong shale, including the theories of hydrocarbon generation and accumulation, the technologies of mobility and fracturing, and recoverability. It confirms the major transition of Gulong shale from oil generation to oil production, which has extremely significant scientific value and application potential for China’s petroleum industry.

Analysis of protein and oil content in seeds of soybean collection varieties

The global need for food and protein is increasing as an expected consequence of the growth of the human population in the world, which by 2050 will reach 9 billion people. Already, about 1 billion people in the world are chronically malnourished. Field research was carried out in 2017-2021 on the experimental field of the Research Institute of Selection, Seed Production and Agricultural Technology of Cotton Growing. In the mid-early ripe variety sample CH3(-008), the protein content was medium protein (38.16%), and the oil content was medium oil (18.66%); in variety US-25 (-622), the protein content (40.00%) was above the average level, and the oil was medium oil and amounted to 19.05%. Intervarietal variation of protein was 1.0%, oil 1.56%. The minimum total indicator of protein and oil in soybean grain was 57.44±0.40 (Arletta variety), the maximum was 60.00±32.0% (Sparta variety).

Block copolymers as dispersants for nanomaterial added to fuel

Development and optimization of technologies using nanocomposite materials is one of important areas in modern industrial engineering. In transport industry and in fuel power engineering the use of nanoparticles can optimize fuel consumption, reduce pollutants, and increase aggregate productivity. A special role belongs to carbon nanomaterials, primarily to multi- and single-walled carbon nanotubes, since, beside the improvement of fuel characteristics, they can be completely utilized during combustion. Application of nanoparticles requires the preparing of stable suspensions suitable for various technological processes. In this work by the help of NMR spectroscopy the dispersing of nanomaterial by block copolymers was considered: by poloxamers (P184 and P407) in aqueous medium and by poloxamine (Diproxamine-157) and its mixture with liquid poloxamer P184 in oil medium. Good dispersibility of nanomaterial and stability of aqueous dispersions obtained with the help of poloxamers have been shown. Also, it has been established that pure liquid reverse-sequential poloxamines can be used to create oil-soluble dispersions of nanomaterial. Possible mechanisms to prevent reagglomeration by the help of poloxamines have been considered.

THE QUALITY OF CRUDE OIL FROM THE MUANDA FIELD AND ITS CONSEQUENCES ON THE INSTALLATIONS

"The study on the quality of the crude oil of the Muanda field and its consequences on the installations, was carried out within the framework of our scientific research of study of Advanced Diploma (DEA). The objective of this study was to determine upstream the physical properties and composition of the Muanda field crude oil, in order to determine the conditions of asphaltene deposits in the tubing and other installations. To achieve this, the samples collected in the field were analysed in our laboratories and at the PVT Laboratory of Sonangol in Luanda to constitute the results of this manuscript. The results of these analyses show that the crude oil of the Muanda field is a Medium Crude Oil (29.7°API) on the API density scale with the hypothesis of two sources: one of Light Oil, the other of Medium Oil). These two sources of crude oil, induce the establishment of two oils of different viscosities and pour points of which one more viscous (Mu 23) and the other less viscous (Mu 16 and Mu 2) having the average pour point at 15° C (60°F). The Standing correlation gave acceptable results and close to those of the Electromagnetic Viscometer (EMV). The chemical composition showed that the crude oil is composed of 18.63% of gas and 81.37 % of Paraffins and Asphaltenes, and that this oil is of low sulfur content type (Low Sulfur Content (LSC) <0.6% weight). A solid sample collected from the oil field was characterized through melting, further heating and solidification point (28 oC). "

Epoxidation kinetics of vegetable oil in micellar medium by reaction calorimetry

The kinetics of vegetable oil epoxidation in the presence of different families of surfactants was conducted in an RC1 calorimetric reactor, to explore the micellar effect on the overall rate and kinetic parameters of the reaction. The reaction time was reduced by 2 to 3 hours compared to that obtained in the absence of micelles. A kinetic model is proposed whose parameters are estimated using a method based on the reconstruction of the thermal power profile released by the synthesis. The activation energy of the epoxidation reaction is 44.08 kJ. Safety parameters (MTSR, MTT, TD24) are also determined to study the possibility and severity of thermal runaway.

Establishing the regularity of the emulsification process

The study is aimed at assessing the influence of the degree of quantitative content of vegetable oil in an aqueous-oily medium on the emulsification process. Safflower oil was chosen as the main ingredient of the oil phase. The degree of quantitative content of safflower oil varied from 20 to 80% in relation to water. The stability of emulsions depends on many factors, including the degree of ultrasonic action, the stability of water-oil emulsions is ensured only if a film forms on the interfacial surface that mechanically prevents the aggregation of particles of the dispersed phase. It is the stabilizing adsorption film, and not the low interfacial tension, that exclude the possibility of fusion of particles of dispersed phases. The production of water-oil emulsions based on various oils, including emulsions used in perfumery, food, petrochemical and other industries. The disadvantage of the above analogues is that the influence of quantitative parameters on the emulsification process has been established and they do not have a set of functional and technological properties necessary for the production of new types of food products. This paper presents the results of the influence of the quantitative parameters of the components on the formation of a water-oil emulsion based on safflower oil under ultrasound exposure. The process of formation of a water-oil emulsion largely depends on the quantitative parameters of the components and the parameters of ultrasonic exposure - the frequency and amplitude of ultrasound, as well as its power. Therefore, establishing the regularity of the emulsification process of a water-oil mixture based on safflower oil using ultrasonic exposure is an urgent task. In connection with the expansion of the scope of ultrasound in the production of various types of emulsions, studies are being conducted on the influence of quantitative parameters of components in the process of ultrasonic treatment on the physico-chemical and rheological parameters of the final product.

Non-destructive determination of the oil content in peach palm (Bactris gasipaes) flour using NMR and NIR spectroscopies

The oil from the fruit of peach palm or Pupunha (Bactris gasipaes) is an example of a material with low-cost and good antioxidant capacity. However, Conventional methods for measuring oil content are time-consuming, labor-intensive and use toxic chemicals. In this sense, the aim of this study was evaluated fast and non-destructive spectroscopy methods, such as Near Infrared (NIR) and Time-Domain Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (TD-NMR) (CPMG and ROSE pulse sequences), to quantify the oil content in pupunha flours collected in the amazon forest. For this, 93 samples were used and the results showed three distinct levels of oil in the samples: high, medium and low oil content. Furthermore, the determination coefficient (R2) reached values of 0.92, 0.92 and 0.70 for NIR, TD-NMR (ROSE) and TD-NMR (CPMG), respectively. Therefore, the NIR and TD-NMR (ROSE) methods demonstrate a higher prediction efficiency, with the NIR achieving 100% classification of the samples.

Effects of Heat Stress during Seed Filling Stage on Brassica napus Seed Oil Accumulation and Chlorophyll Fluorescence Characteristics

As global temperature rise, the threat of heat stress to rapeseed production is becoming more obvious. Exploring the response characteristics of two important biological pathways, oil accumulation and photosynthesis, to heat stress during B. napus seed filling is helpful in the genetic improvement of heat-tolerant rapeseed. The effects of heat stress on seed oil accumulation and chlorophyll fluorescence characteristics of 29 B. napus germplasms with different oil content and environmental sensitivity, including 6 rapeseed varieties which exhibited environment-sensitive/insensitive and with high, medium or low oil content, were tested by whole plant heat stress or the in vitro silique culture system. Both assay exhibited similar trend on oil content of the rapeseed germplasms. The heat effect on the chlorophyll fluorescence kinetic parameters Fv/Fm, ETR and Y(II) were also consistent. Heat stress significantly decreased oil content, although there was abundant genetic variation on heat tolerance among the genotypes. Correlation analysis showed that the decrease rate of Fv/Fm of silique heat-stressed B. napus developing seed was positive correlative to the decrease rate of mature seed oil content of the whole plant heat-stressed rapeseed (R = 0.9214, P-value < 0.01). Overall, the results indicated that heat stress inhibited oil accumulation and photosynthesis in B. napus developing seed. The decrease rate of chlorophyll fluorescence parameter Fv/Fm of heat-stressed developing seed could be used as the index of heat tolerant rapeseed identification. Further, two heat insensitive rapeseed varieties with high oil content were identified.

Biotechnological potential of microorganisms isolated from the salar del hombre muerto, Argentina.

Bacterial strains were isolated from soil and aqueous solution samples from the Salar del Hombre Muerto, Argentina. A total of 141 strains were characterized and the tolerance to sodium chloride was evaluated. We performed a screening to search for molecules of biotechnological interest: carotenoids (11%), emulsifiers (95%), and exopolysaccharides (6%), and to assess the production of enzymes, including proteolytic (39%), lipolytic (26%), hemolytic (50%), and catalase activities (99%); 25 bacterial strains were selected for further studies. Some of them produced biofilms, but only Bacillus sp. HA120b showed that ability in all the conditions assayed. Although 21 strains were able to form emulsions, the emulsifying index Kocuria sp. M9 and Bacillus sp. V3a cultures were greater than 50% and, emulsions were more stable when the bacteria grew in higher salt concentrations. Only pigmented Kocuria sp. M9 showed lipolytic activity on olive oil medium and was able to produce biofilms when cultured without and with 4 M of NaCl. Yellow pigments, lipase activity, and biosurfactant production were observed for Micrococcus sp. SX120. Summarizing, we found that the selected bacteria produced highly interesting molecules with diverse industrial applications and, many of them are functional in the presence of high salt concentrations.

A Mechanistic Study of Wettability Alterations in Sandstone by Low Salinity Water Injection (LSWI) and CO2 Low Salinity Water-Alternating-Gas (WAG) Injection

Low salinity water injection (LSWI), an emerging Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR) method, has proven to be effective in increasing oil recovery by wettability alteration. As low salinity water is injected into the reservoir, the pre-established equilibrium is disturbed. The chemical reactions among the oil/brine/rock system alters the existing wettability, resulting in enhanced oil recovery. Water-alternating-gas (WAG) injection is also a leading EOR flooding process in light to medium oil sandstone and carbonate reservoirs. A recently proposed hybrid EOR method, CO2 low salinity (LS) WAG injection, shows promise based on experimental and simulation studies, compared to LSWI or CO2 injection alone. Wettability alteration is considered as the dominant mechanism for CO2 LSWAG injection. In this study, a new displacement contact angle measurement which better mimics the actual displacement process taking place in a reservoir is used, aiming to investigate the effect of monovalent and divalent cations, CO2, and injection schemes. It is found that the injection of NaCl low salinity water alters the wettability towards slightly water-wet, and the injection of CaCl2 low salinity water alters the wettability towards slightly oil-wet. The injection of CO2 promotes water-wetness and geochemical reactions between oil and brine. Injection scheme of CO2 and NaCl low salinity water is more efficient than WAG cycle of CO2/NaCl in wettability alteration towards more water-wet. However, the opposite trend is observed with CaCl2 low salinity water, of which WAG cycle of CO2/CaCl2 is more efficient in altering wettability towards water-wet. The oil drop deformation process during LSWI resembles the process of oil removal using surfactant. As CO2 is introduced, due to the acidic effect of CO2 and ion exchange, it acts to wet the rock surface, leading to a more water-wet state. With introduction of CO2, the oil drop deformation resembles the “roll-up” oil removal process.

엔잘루타마이드의 용해도 개선을 위한 고형의 자가나노유화 약물전달시스템

The objective of this study was to develop a novel enzalutamide-loaded solidified self-nanoemulsifying drug delivery system formulation with enhanced solubility and dissolution rate. Various oil and surfactant were screened, then Medium Chain Triglyceride oil and Polysorbate 80 and Labrafil M2125CS were selected as oil and a surfactant. Pseudoternary phase diagram was constructed to detect the nanoemulsion zone. Among the SNEDDS formulations tested, SNEDDS consisted of MCT oil (oil), Polysorbate 80 (surfactant) and Labrafil M2125CS (co-surfactant) at a weight ratio of 20:70:10. The SNEDDS produced the emulsion droplet size 18.66±0.88 nm. Spray drying technique was used to convert the selected enzalutamide-loaded SNEDDS into solid SNEDDS with inert carrier such as silicon dioxide. Enzlautamide-loaded solid SNEDDS was characterized by scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, powder X-ray diffractometry, dynamic light scattering, saturation solubility and in vitro dissolution study. The S-SNEDDS produced an emulsion droplet size of 15.37±0.49 nm and there was no change in particle size between with or without drug. SEM and PXRD results suggested that enzalutamide existed in amorphous form in enzalutamide-loaded solid SNEDDS. In addition, enzalutamide-loaded solid SNEDDS increased saturation solubility 42-fold and dissolution rates 23- fold compared to crystalline enzalutamide. Therefore, the solid SNEDDS could be a potential nano-sized drug delivery system for poorly water-soluble drug enzalutamide.

Impact of crude oil properties on stability of HCl-crude oil emulsion using XDLVO theory

Undesired emulsification of HCl-crude oils during acid jobs may compromise oil production due to clogging of near wellbore region. This may be resulted from the presence of natural surfactants such as asphaltene. In this paper, the relation between some of crude oil properties including API gravity, dynamic viscosity, polarity, total base number (TBN) with the emulsion stability has been studied by applying the XDLVO theory. The results showed that TBN, and polarity of the crude oil medium can be manifested as reliable criteria for predicting the emulsion stability, while the impact of API gravity and dynamic viscosity of the crude oil were marginal. Sensitivity analyses were also carried out to discern the most dominant parameters on the total interaction energy between droplets in the HCl-crude oil emulsions. It was found that in short distances between droplets, the effect of electron acceptor/donor components are important in such a way that a crude oil with high electron donor and low electron acceptor components would form more stable emulsion when it is mixed with the HCl solution, while no noticeable effect was observed for longer distances. In addition, the results of adhesion tests showed that the presence of HCl solution increases the adhesion of different crude oils onto a glass surface. This is imperative for evaluating the extent of formation damage due to acid-crude oil emulsion and acid sludge formation, when they stick to the rock surfaces. These findings can serve as guideline for choosing the appropriate acid stimulation job in connection with crude oil properties for management of formation damage.

SiO2 aerogels (SAs) coating on the surface of 3D weft-knitted spacer fabrics (WKSFs) used as sorbent in oil spill cleanup

Oily wastewater and advanced manufacturing organic pollutants are posing a serious global threat to the environment. Herein, SiO2 aerogels prepared from tetraethylorthosilicate (C8H20O4Si) by sol-gel method were coated on various 3D weft-knitted spacer fabrics (WKSFs) to study and compare the oil spill cleanup behavior in different temperatures (20 °C, 30 °C, 40 °C, 50 °C, and 60 °C), oil, and water medium. SEM and BET were used to observe the surface morphology and specific surface area of WKSFs. FTIR-ATR and XRD for the microstructure of fabrics were used to characterize the surface changes induced by the silica aerogel coating. TGA was performed to clarify the thermal degradation of WKSFs. The findings demonstrated that entirely the sorbents, particularly sorbent 2, ensured significant oil weight gain (%) and retention rate (%) in all cases. Sorbent 2 (with a weight of 350 g/m2, a thickness of 3 mm, a stitch density of 1.58/inch, a fabric density of 117 kg/m3, and a spacer yarn arrangement angle of 79.96°) showed a higher oil weight gain (%) and retention rate (%) of ((763 ± 2.31 %, 758 ± 2.08 %, and 740 ± 2.52 %) and (88.92 ± 0.87 %, 88.74 ± 0.68 %, and 85.88 ± 1.02 %)) for vegetable oil and ((698 ± 2.65 %, 693 ± 2.52 %, and 673 ± 2.65 %) and (91.18 ± 0.83 %, 90.82 ± 0.75 %, and 88.16 ± 0.90 %)) for engine oil in temperature, oil, and water medium, respectively. The statistical study revealed that coated WKSFs performed significantly at the 0.05 level (P = 0.000). The outcomes also revealed that the varieties of 3D fabric physical structures, specific surface areas, pore sizes, pore volumes, porosity ratios, water contact angles, silica aerogel add-on %, surface roughness, thermal behaviors, temperatures, and oil characteristics all played a significant effect on oil weight gain and retention capacity, especially in the oil spill cleanup performance.

Improvement of Haptic Interface for Teleoperation Endoscopic Surgery Simulators Using Magnetorheological Fluid Devices

A magnetorheological (MR) fluid is a composite material comprising ferromagnetic particles, medium oils, and several types of additives. We developed an MR fluid clutch for haptics (H-MRC) and installed it in a haptic interface that simulates teleoperation endoscopic surgery (ES). To enhance its operability, we redesigned the H-MRC to reduce its weight and improve its control system. We reduced the weight of the H-MRC and haptic gripper by 77.0 g and 137.0 g, respectively. To evaluate the influence of the improvement and force feedback functions on remote operation skills, we conducted pick-and-place tests with a remotely controlled system. In the tests, we subjectively evaluated the NASA-TLX and quantitatively evaluated the success rate of the task. The results of the subjective assessment showed significant reductions in mental stress during the teleoperation task. In addition, the results of the quantitative evaluation showed that the force feedback function was effective against the teleoperation skills of the operators.

Survival and phyto-extraction of heavy metals by Nauclea diderrichii (De Wild. &amp; T. Durand) Merr. plantlets in spent engine oil medium

Investigation was carried out on the phyto-extraction potentials of Nauclea diderrichii grown in tissue culture medium contaminated with spent engine oil with a view to determining the suitability of this tree species to remediate polluted soils for reclamation. This experiment was carried out in the Biotechnology Research Center, Forestry Research Institute of Nigeria, Ibadan, Oyo State. The experimental design used for this study was Completely Randomized Design with 9 treatments replicated 5 times. Concentrations 0 (control), 0.1, 0.2, 0.3 0.4 ml of spent engine oil (SEO) from diesel and petrol engines were applied to the medium of the plantlets. The survival of the plantlets was monitored while amount of heavy metals (Lead and Cadmium) present in the plantlets were assessed after 2 months. Data collected were subjected to descriptive analysis. After 2 months, results showed that 100 % of the plantlets without the application of SEO (control) survived, 60% of the plantlets subjected to 0.1 ml of SEO from diesel engine (D) and 0.1 ml of SEO from petrol engine (P) survived. Forty percent (40 %) of the plantlets subjected to 0.2 ml SEO from D and 0.2 ml SEO from P survived, 20 % of the plantlets subjected to 0.3 ml SEO from D and 0.3 ml SEO from P survived while plantlets subjected to 0.4 ml SEO from D and 0.4 ml SEO from P did not survive. There was difference in the amount of lead and cadmium of N. diderrichii plantlets subjected to different SEO from diesel and petrol engines. The Pb and Cd content in the tissue of plantlets subjected to SEO from petrol engine was higher than that of plantlets subjected to SEO from diesel engine. This might be due to the viscousity of the different SEO. The study revealed that contamination of the culture medium with SEO from both diesel and petrol engines can lead to a gradual accumulation of heavy metals showing the phytoremediation potentials of N. diderrichii. This study has been able to show that tissue cultured plantlets of N. diderrichii have the ability/potential to phyto-extract heavy metals from SEO contaminated medium.

Quality improvement of long oil alkyd (LOA) resin requirements in the formulation of Hi-gloss paints

PurposeThis research aimed at lowering the non-volatile matter (NVM) of long oil alkyd (LOA) resin to meet the resin requirements in producing Hi-gloss paints. The research also aimed to assist Hi-gloss paint manufacturers who require solid resin content below 70%.Design/methodology/approachThe research utilised both the document review and experimental methods. The experimental method, which involved the blending process, was used in lowering the NVM of LOA resin, whereby eight experiments were conducted as reputations to obtain accurate data and results. A factorial design was used in the design of the experiment (DOE), where three factors were required to be evaluated: specific gravity, viscosity and NVM and two levels were required: weight of LOA and white spirit.FindingsThe NVM of LOA resin was successfully lowered, and different shades of paint were produced for reliability testing. The quality parameters of Hi-gloss paints that used the modified LOA were all found within the company's specifications compared to those with unmodified LOA, where some parameters were either above or below the specifications. However, all samples with the NVM of LOA used below 50% were found to be poor in terms of quality during the reliability testing. So, if the company had used the modified LOA resin in the production of Hi-gloss paints, it would have potentially saved 18,925.2 kg and 9,446.4 kg, respectively, of LOA just in producing Hi-gloss black and white paints only. Moreover, the cost of 1 kg of LOA is $2.3, which is equal to Tanzanian Shillings (Tshs) 5,290. The company would have potentially saved Tshs 100.114 million Tshs and Tshs 49.97 million Tshs in producing Hi-gloss black and white paints, respectively, making a total of Tshs 150.08 million per year. This was counted as a loss during that year because they did not use LOA resin with 50% NVM in production.Research limitations/implicationsThis study focused on LOA resin used in producing Hi-gloss paints. The study also did not consider other categories of alkyd resins used in producing paints and varnishes e.g. epoxy resin and short and medium oil alkyd resins.Originality/valueThis is probably the first alkyd resin improvement study conducted using white spirit as Tanzania's main agent or material. The study utilised vegetable oils such as coconut, sunflower and tobacco seeds.

Synergistic effect of sulfonated castor oil and porous medium on kinetics of gas hydrates formation

In recent years, interest in gas hydrates has increased as they represent a potential energy source and an alternative to the current environmentally friendly method of storing and transporting natural gas. In this study, the synergistic effect of a new promoting reagent – sulfonated castor oil (SCO) – and a porous medium on the formation and decomposition of methane and methane-propane hydrates was compared to that of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) using the high-pressure differential scanning calorimetry (HP-μDSC) method. DSC tests demonstrated that water conversion in the presence of SCO in a porous substrate for methane hydrates reached 95% at high water saturation, which can be attributed to improved mass transfer in the presence of surfactants. However, this value did not exceed 60% for the hydrate of methane–propane mixture, indicating that the mechanism of promotion of the sI and sII hydrates differs. According to kinetic calculations based on the Avrami equation, both SDS and SCO accelerate the formation of hydrates, but for SCO, this is possible with less supercooling. The calorimetric measurements and kinetic parameter calculations demonstrated that SCO is comparable to the well-known reagent SDS in promoting activity in porous media with varying water saturation.

Microstructure Evolution and Hardness Properties of Nodular Cast Iron for Varying Tempering Time

Nodular cast iron is usually used for components that require good mechanical properties such as strength, toughness, and ductility. Heat treatment is applied to the components made from the nodular cast iron to improve their mechanical properties. This study aimed to investigate the influence of tempering time on the microstructure, hardness, and wear rate of nodular cast iron. The heat treatment was performed by austenitizing to 850 °C with a holding time of 1 hour and quenched in the oil medium. After quenching, it was tempered at a temperature of 450 °C by varying the tempering time to 15, 30, 45, and 60 min. The investigation consists of microstructure observation, hardness, and wear rate measurements. The results show that the highest hardness was 55.3 HRC at a tempering time of 15 min, and the lowest hardness was 54 HRC at a tempering time of 60 min. The lowest wear rate was 0.00476 g/min at a tempering time of 15 min, and the highest wear rate was 0.00574 g/min at a tempering time of 60 min. It can be concluded that the longer the holding time of tempering, the lower the hardness and the higher the wear rate.

Study of Bulk Properties Relation to SARA Composition Data of Various Vacuum Residues Employing Intercriteria Analysis

Twenty-two straight run vacuum residues extracted from extra light, light, medium, heavy, and extra heavy crude oils and nine different hydrocracked vacuum residues were characterized for their bulk properties and SARA composition using four and eight fractions (SAR-ADTM) methods. Intercriteria analysis was employed to determine the statistically meaningful relations between the SARA composition data and the bulk properties. The determined strong relations were modeled using the computer algebra system Maple and NLPSolve with the Modified Newton Iterative Method. It was found that the SAR-ADTM saturates, and the sum of the contents of saturates and ARO-1 can be predicted from vacuum residue density, while the SAR-ADTM asphaltene fraction content, and the sum of asphaltenes, and resins contents correlate with the softening point of the straight run vacuum residues. The softening point of hydrocracked vacuum residues was found to strongly negatively correlates with SAR-ADTM Aro-1 fraction, and strongly positively correlates with SAR-ADTM Aro-3 fraction. While in the straight run vacuum residues, the softening point is controlled by the content of SAR-ADTM asphaltene fraction in the H-Oil hydrocracked vacuum residues, the softening point is controlled by the content of SAR-ADTM Aro-3 fraction content. During high severity H-Oil operation, resulting in higher conversion, hydrocracked vacuum residue with higher SAR-ADTM Aro-3 fraction content is obtained, which makes it harder and more brittle.