Petrochemical Research Articles

Effects of Different Oils on the Physiochemical Properties of Pea Protein Concentrate and Maltodextrin Emulsions

Abstract The effects of varying the oil phase composition on an O/W emulsion were evaluated. Rice bran oil (RBO), corn oil (CO), soybean oil (SO), coconut oil (CCO), palm oil (PO), and medium-chain triglyceride oil (MCT) were tested in the oil phase to assess their influence on emulsion characteristics, including droplet size distribution, rheology, stability, and in vitro digestibility. The physicochemical properties of the pure oils were also assessed. The emulsions were prepared using high-pressure homogenization, and their stability was analyzed over a three-day storage period. All emulsions remained stable throughout the whole testing period except for the TCM emulsion, which displayed a decrease in backscattering values on the third day. Similarly, the TCM emulsion presented remarkably high values in the rest of the analysis, with the greatest average droplet diameter, viscosity, and lipolysis during in vitro digestion. The CCO and PO emulsions presented intermediate values, and the RBO, CO, and SO emulsions presented the lowest values. Overall, the oil phase composition seems to strongly affect emulsion properties, particularly rheology.

Effectiveness of using Moringa oleifera seeds as a green coagulant for soya oil refinery wastewater ecological treatment: Box–Behnken design optimization

Effectiveness of using Moringa oleifera seeds as a green coagulant for soya oil refinery wastewater ecological treatment: Box–Behnken design optimization

Nanoparticle‐enhanced dielectric oils for improved electrical insulation: Comparison of MgO, Al2O3, and SiO2‐based dielectric nanofluids

AbstractThis study provides comprehensive and quantitative assessments of the electrical insulation, viscosity, thermal conductivity, flash point, acidity, and stability of dielectric nanofluids. In the experiment, naphthenic mineral oil was chosen as the base fluid. MgO, Al2O3, and SiO2 were preferred as nanoparticles. In the dielectric breakdown voltage (BDV) tests performed, increased values were observed at certain concentrations for each nanofluid, with the highest value in the SiO2‐based nanofluid being 83.47 kV at a concentration rate of 0.05 g/L. Adding nanoparticles to the base oil increased the viscosity of all suspensions. Except for MgO‐based dielectric nanofluid, the flash points of other nanofluids increased as compared to pure oil. Total acid number (TAN) values, on the other hand, increased for SiO2‐ and Al2O3‐based nanofluids but decreased for MgO‐based nanofluids. However, all values are quite below the standard limit of 0.25 mgKOH/g. The percentage transmittance values calculated from the ultraviolet and visible light (UV–vis) spectrophotometry results differed for each nanofluid. However, they were all lower than the base oil. In general, the results indicate that the use of dielectric nanofluids in electrical systems will be beneficial, provided that the problem of long‐term stabilisation is solved.

A self-powered soft triboelectric-electrohydrodynamic pump

Soft pumps have the potential to transform industries including soft robotics, wearable devices, microfluidics and biomedical devices, but their efficiency and power supply limitations hinder prolonged operation. Here, we report a self-powered triboelectric-electrohydrodynamic pump, which combines a soft electrohydrodynamic pump driven by an electrostatic generator, specifically a triboelectric nanogenerator. The triboelectric nanogenerator collects ambient energy and converts it into high-voltage power source, allowing it to self-power an electrohydrodynamic pump and thus eliminating the need for external power supply. Using power management circuit, geometric shape optimization, and stacking methods, we achieve a maximum pressure of 4.49 kPa and a maximum flow rate of 502 mL/min. We demonstrate the pump’s versatility in applications such as self-powered soft actuators, oil pumping in microfluidics, and oil purification. The triboelectric-electrohydrodynamic pump holds promising applications, and offers new insights for the development of fully self-powered systems.

Environmental and health risk assessment of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and toxic elements in the red sea using Monte Carlo simulation

This research evaluates the environmental and health risks linked to potentially toxic elements (PTEs) and PAHs along the western coast of the Gulf of Suez, Egypt. This study investigated the concentration of 16 PAH compounds in the Suez Gulf, revealing significantly higher levels than the EU (0.20 µg/L) and US (0.030 µg/L) standards. The average total PAH concentration across eight locations was significantly higher, with the Suez area having the highest concentration at 479 µg/L. Pyrene (Pyr) was the dominant PAH with a concentration of 443 µg/L in Suez, while acenaphthylene (Ace) had the lowest concentration at 0.120 µg/L in Northern Zaafarana. Carcinogenic PAHs (CAR) ranged from 8.67 µg/L at Ras Gharib to 29.62 µg/L at Suez, highlighting the urgent need for regulatory measures. Confirmatory ratios pointed to industrial and shipping influences as petrogenic sources. Elevated total organic carbon (TOC) levels in Suez Bay indicated aggravated organic pollution, exacerbated by oil rigs and refineries. The ecological risk assessment highlighted substantial risks, particularly in Suez, necessitating immediate interventions to combat PAH contamination and preserve the environmental balance of the Red Sea. The dominant metals in water samples were arranged in descending order as follows: Pb > Fe > Cr > Cu > Zn > Mn > Cd > Ni. The study evaluated environmental and human health risks using a multifaceted approach, including cluster analysis, principal component analysis, and various indices (HPI, RI, MI, HQ, HI, and CR). Most water samples exhibited high pollution risks, surpassing permissible limits for HPI (> 100) and MI (> 6). Notably, HI oral values indicated significant non-carcinogenic risks for adults and children. While HI values for adults suggested low-risk dermal contact, those for children showed a substantial proportion in the high-risk category. Most water samples displayed CR values exceeding 1 × 10–4 for Cd, Cr, and Pb, indicating vulnerability to carcinogenic effects in both age groups. Monte Carlo simulations reinforced these findings, revealing a significant carcinogenic impact on children and adults. The identified clusters, reflective of industrial, petroleum-related, and urban runoff contamination sources, were consistently validated and clarified through PCA, enhancing the reliability of the findings. In light of these results, urgent and comprehensive water treatment measures are imperative to mitigate carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic health risks. These insights provide a foundation for implementing targeted management strategies to effectively address the challenges of heavy metal contamination in the Red Sea.

Viable Use of Tire Pyrolysis Oil as an Additive to Conventional Motor Oil: A Tribological and Physical Study

Stockpiled end-of-life tires (ELTs) pose a serious environmental concern. In the current investigation, ELT pyrolysis oil (i.e., pyro-oil) was studied as a potential additive to conventional motor oil. The pyro-oil samples were mixed in different concentrations of 10 to 50 wt.% with commercial virgin motor oil to obtain a lubricant mixture. Chemical analyses were performed for the tire-recycled derivative material, as a potential route to utilize pyro-oils, valorize ELT waste, and reduce production costs of motor oil lubricants. Rheological examinations were performed to explore the impact of the pyro-oil on the rheological properties of the motor oil under several shearing rates and temperatures. Tribological analyses of the lubricant mixtures and the pure motor oil were accomplished to study the influence of the pyro-oil additive on the tribological behavior of motor oils. Lastly, thermal stability and wettability examinations were executed to assess the thermal and wetting properties of lubricant mixtures. The obtained results showed that adding a low concentration of the pyro-oil (≤10%) will sustain the motor oil’s chemical, wettability, thermal stability, rheological, and tribological properties, signifying a viable application of recycled ELTs and helping to reduce their environmental and economic impact. These findings offer a feasible route of use in the future to obtain low-cost oils with market specifications, utilizing pyro-oil as a sustainable and environmental oil additive.

Machine Learning-Driven Soft Sensor Implementation for Real-Time Fault Detection in CDU of Oil Refinery

Soft sensors in oil refineries provide operators with important insights into the behavior and performance of processes using real-time and historical data to generate predictions. This data-driven strategy makes it easier to make wise decisions for detecting faults, thus improving process optimization and control. The Crude Distillation Unit (CDU) imposes very harsh working environments for measuring instruments, imposing both the use of a very robust sensory system and periodic maintenance procedures, which are time-consuming and costly. Notwithstanding such precautions, faults in those measuring devices, such as temperature and pressure sensors, still occur, and the presence of a sensor fault deteriorates the efficiency, productivity, and reliability of the refinery process. Recent works focused only on some fault types (e.g., bias and drift), ignoring others. This study presents the design of a soft sensor to detect all possible fault types in the real-time processing of an oil refinery. This method used actual data collected from the Salahuddin oil refinery in Iraq, several preprocessing methods, and a machine-learning approach. The proposed soft sensor was designed using several stages, including data collection, preprocessing, clustering, and classification. In the classification stage, an approach based on a Bagged Decision Tree (BDT) and Support Vector Machine (SVM) was implemented to classify the detected faults. The proposed soft sensor was trained and tested using actual data, achieving a high fault detection and classification result of 99.96%.

Surfactant-free W/O high internal phase emulsions co-stabilized by beeswax and phytosterol crystal scaffold: A promising fat mimetic with enhanced mechanical and mouthfeel properties.

Water-in-oil high internal phase emulsions (W/O-HIPEs) typically rely on large amounts of surfactants to disperse water droplets and usually use crystalline saturated triacylglycerides (TAGs) to enhance processing properties. However, these practices conflict with consumer demands for 'natural' ingredients. This study seeks to develop novel crystal fractions similar to saturated TAGs for the preparation of W/O-HIPEs as low-calorie fat mimetics, focusing on their mechanical and mouthfeel properties, which have received little attention thus far. This study explored using an all-nature crystal scaffold to stabilize W/O-HIPEs as fat mimetics under surfactant-free conditions, featuring multi-sensorial attributes. The crystal scaffold was designed by varying the ratios (10:0, 8:2, 6:4, 4:6, 2:8, and 0:10, w/w) of beeswax (BW) and phytosterol (PS), two sustainable crystal fractions. The optimal stabilization of W/O-HIPEs (φ=0.75) was achieved at a BW/PS ratio of 6:4, with only a slight increment in droplet size for either static storage (30days) or freeze-thaw (3 cycles) treatment. Crystal particles of BW and PS performed a synergistic effect to stabilize W/O-HIPEs by forming a network in the bulk phase and adsorbing onto droplet surfaces as a Pickering stabilizer. The crystalline layer on the droplet surfaces also generated bridging networks, providing a dual stabilization mechanism for W/O-HIPEs. Incorporating 3.0wt% of BW and PS (BW/PS=6:4, w/w), W/O-HIPEs exhibited the required modulus of 1×105 Pa to mimic fat. Moreover, these W/O-HIPEs exhibited superior lubrication behavior (friction coefficients below 0.06) compared to pure liquid oil at low sliding speeds (0-2.5mm/s), enhancing mouthfeel. However, increasing the BW and PS crystals content to 4.0wt% led to increased brittleness, with a reduction in the emulsion's lubricity at the hydrodynamic region. These findings highlight the potential of natural crystals to develop low-calorie W/O-HIPEs as fat mimetics in the food industry.

Microbial enrichment-based bioremediation of petroleum refinery wastewater- enhanced effluent quality assessment by phytotoxicity studies

Microbial enrichment-based bioremediation of petroleum refinery wastewater- enhanced effluent quality assessment by phytotoxicity studies

Novel insights into mycoremediation mechanism of petroleum refinery wastewater using Phanerochaete chrysosporium: An experimental and computational approach

Novel insights into mycoremediation mechanism of petroleum refinery wastewater using Phanerochaete chrysosporium: An experimental and computational approach

Estimate the Concentrations of Some Heavy Metals in Industrial Wastewater in Al-Dora Oil Refinery

Industrial wastewater is discharged in large quantities into water bodies, and different treatment processes are employed to reduce pollutant levels. This study quantifies copper, iron, cadmium, cobalt, lead, and nickel levels in industrial wastewater samples at Al-Dora refinery. Results showed variations before and after treatment, with physical and chemical tests conducted in summer and winter. The measured values ​​were (pH, T, Turbidity, EC, TSS, TDS ), respectively (8.23, 34.8 °C, 60.88 NTU, 2883 ms/cm, 575 mg/L, 1441 mg/L) in summer, while in the winter it was (7.516, 28.6 °C, 100.6 NTU, 1147 ms/cm, 780 mg/L, 569.8 mg/L), respectively. Heavy metals were measured and showed a slight decrease during the treatment units, nevertheless, they continue to be among the environmental determinants of the Iraqi river maintenance system (1967). The measured elements were (Cu, Fe, Cd, Co, Pb, and Ni), and their concentrations in the treated water and discharged to the river were (0.064, 0.020, 0.109, 0.031, 0.029, 0.092) mg/L, respectively, in the winter. While in summer, their concentrations were (0.017, 0.018, 0.0105, 0.017, 0.138, 0.078) mg/L, respectively. The values of pollutant concentrations were a key environmental factor in the maintenance of Iraqi rivers, as the treatment plant effectively reduced or removed these pollutants from the water before discharging it into the river, without impacting water quality.

Assessing the compost-ability of oil refinery sludge in the presence or absence of earthworms: An eco-friendly approach of biodegradation

Assessing the compost-ability of oil refinery sludge in the presence or absence of earthworms: An eco-friendly approach of biodegradation

Integrated system of electrocoagulation, activated sludge, and electrooxidation for the treatment of oil refinery wastewater

Integrated system of electrocoagulation, activated sludge, and electrooxidation for the treatment of oil refinery wastewater

BIOREMEDIATION OF PETROLEUM REFINERY EFFLUENTS USING MUTATED FUNGAL CONSORTIA: A CASE STUDY FROM KADUNA, NIGERIA

Bioremediation is a process of using naturally occurring species to break down hazardous substances into less harmful or non-toxic substances. Effluents from petroleum refinery pose a serious health hazard on the people who depend on the water as source of supply for domestic uses. To avoid health hazard, it is imperative for these toxic compounds to be removed from waste water before its disposal. The primary goal of this study was to carry out bioremediation of petroleum refinery effluents using mutant strains of fungal consortia. Refinery effluents were collected under the storage tank in Kaduna Refining and Petrochemical Company, Kaduna, Nigeria. Effluent samples were analyzed for total petroleum hydrocarbons using Gas Chromatography and Mass Spectroscopy (GC-MS). Standardization of the fungal consortium inoculum was prepared following standard method. The culture medium of each isolate of the mutated fungi Aspergillus niger, A. fumigatus, A. versicolor and A. quadrilineatus was carried out following standard procedure. The result of the GC-MS analysis revealed that cis-13-Octadecenoic acid, methyl ester; 7-Hexadecenoic acid, methyl ester; 10-Octadecenoic acid, and Methyl stearate; showed the highest percentage quality of (99%) respectively. Bioremediation of Kaduna refinery effluents in this study indicated that, there was decline in the bioremediation parameters in the second week up to the fourth week whereby the COD, BOD all showed significant decrease. Based on the Gas Chromatographic (GC) analysis of the fungi consortium, the degradative ability of the mutants of Aspergillus versicolor and Aspergillus quadrilineatus were observed to be prominent.

A Study of Microbiological Contamination and Metal Toxicity from Artisanal Crude Oil Refining on Ecosystem Health

A Study of Microbiological Contamination and Metal Toxicity from Artisanal Crude Oil Refining on Ecosystem Health

Energy efficiency potential determination for an oil treatment and stabilization unit at the field

Relevance. The desire to increase the energy efficiency of industrial enterprises and reduce greenhouse gas emissions from their activities. Reducing specific energy consumption at large oil refineries and petrochemical plants is not new and is quite widely used. Dozens of monographs and thousands of articles are devoted to these areas. But it should be taken into account that in the oil refining industry, all crude oil, even that which does not reach the refinery, necessarily passes through oil preparation and stabilization units at the fields. Therefore, in order to create energy-efficient and environmentally friendly processes throughout the entire oil refining chain, it is necessary to increase the energy efficiency of the oil preparation and stabilization units located at the fields. There are very few research works on thermal energy integration of oil preparation and stabilization units. Aim. Determination of target design and energy values for an energy-efficient retrofit project of the heat exchange network for the surveyed oil preparation and stabilization units and of its energy efficiency potential. Methods. Pinch analysis methods are used to determine the target values of an energy-efficient retrofit project. Mathematical modeling of heat exchange processes in the heat exchange network and economic analysis were performed using the Pinch 2.02 software; the Aspen HYSYS software package was used to create a simulation engineering model of the oil preparation and stabilization units. Results. When determining the target values of the heat exchange network retrofit project, the cost of energy and heat exchange equipment, the cost of collectors for splitting process streams, and technical restrictions on the placement of heat exchanger sections were taken into account. The inclusion of fuel gas in the process stream table has allowed the definition of target parameters for the optimal unit heat exchange network design to evolve. In the process of evolution of target values, the energy efficiency potential of the surveyed oil preparation and stabilization units was determined, which shows the possibility of reducing specific energy consumption by 77%. Upon implementation of the heat exchange network retrofit project and achievement of target parameters, the following economic results will be obtained: IRR=42%, NPV=7425780 USD, DPP 4 years. Also, CO2 emissions can be reduced by 30 thousand tons per year. It should be noted that the evolution of target designation and all target values for the reconstruction project were obtained before the implementation of the heat exchange network oil preparation and stabilization units project itself.

Simultaneous Adsorptive Desulphurization and Denitrogenation in Crude Tire Pyrolysis Oil Refining

Pyrolytic oil usually contains high nitrogen and sulphur content which reduces its efficiency in addition to posing crucial environmental and health concerns. Hence the need for desulphurization and denitrogenation of pyrolytic oil obtained from waste tire for efficient application. Freshly prepared Ni-Cr adsorbent impregnated with TiO2-SiO2 catalyst was used as the adsorbent in the treatment of the pyrolytic oil through adsorption process. Effect of operating time and catalyst ratio were investigated. The result showed that both operating time and catalyst ratio influenced the percentage removal of sulphur and nitrogen. TiO2:SiO2 catalyst ratio of 2:3 gave 78.38%sulphur removal while ratio of 5:0 gave 89.80% nitrogen removal. The effect of time indicated that 78.84% and 93.98% removal of sulpur and nitrogen were obtained respectively after 120 minutes. For optimal simultaneous removal of both sulphur and nitrogen, a mixing ratio of 1:4 was obtained. The study showed that Ni-Cr/TiO2-SiO2 can be an effective adsorbent in desulphurization and denitrogenation of crude tire pyrolytic oil.

Recovery and Reuse of Acetone from Pharmaceutical Industry Waste by Solar Distillation

Solvents are particularly hazardous among the mixture of pollutants found in the air, as their low vapor pressure allows them to reach the atmosphere, causing damage to ecosystems, and producing secondary deleterious effects on living organisms through a wide variety of possible reactions. In response, innovative, sustainable, and ecological methods are being developed to recover solvents from industrial wastewater, which is typically contaminated with other organic compounds. This study describes the procedure for recovering acetone from a residue from the pharmaceutical industry. This compound contains a high amount of solid organic compounds, which are generated during the manufacture of medicines. The treatment consisted of performing a simple solar distillation using a single-slope glass solar still, which separated the acetone from the mother solution. Under ideal circumstances, the use of solar radiation allowed an efficiency rate of 80% using solar concentration by means of mirrors to increase the temperature and 85% without the use of mirrors in the production of distilled acetone, which was characterized to evaluate its quality using instrumental analytical techniques: NMR, IR, and GC. The results obtained indicate that the acetone recovered by this procedure has a good quality of 84%; however, due to this percentage obtained, its reuse is limited for certain applications where a high degree of purity is required, such as its reuse for pharmaceutical use; for this reason, it was proposed to use said compound to eliminate the organic impurities contained in the catalyst waste granules used in a Mexican oil refinery. The resulting material was examined by SEM and EDS, revealing a high initial carbon content that decreased by 29% after treatment. Likewise, as an additional study, a study was carried out to evaluate the characteristics of the residues obtained at the end of the distillation where rubidium, silicon, carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, and chlorine contents were observed.

Stochastic analysis of centrifugal pumping machine used in oil refinery and petrochemical complex, panipat having higher maintenance and replacement policy

Stochastic analysis of centrifugal pumping machine used in oil refinery and petrochemical complex, panipat having higher maintenance and replacement policy

Reversibly thermosecreting and convertible lubricative oil-in-water mixtures using multiple hydrogen bonding interactions

Achieving homogeneous oil and water mixing requires thorough droplet dispersions of both liquids. An additional component, such as a surfactant, particle, solvent or ion is normally required to stabilize the small liquid droplets by providing sufficiently low interfacial tensions or strong repulsive forces. Here we show that very stable oil-in-water mixtures can be created even at very high oil volume fractions by building multiple, high-strength hydrogen bonding interactions between water and a biocompatible and biodegradable oil trimethylolpropane trioleate, which make the oil molecules at the contact interface behave as pseudo-surfactants with ultrahigh interfacial activity. The resultant oil microdroplets can be reversibly thermosecreted from the continuous aqueous phase and lead to controllable formation/dissociation and switchable lubrication of the binary liquid mixture owing to the inherent thermal responsiveness of the intermolecular hydrogen bonding. Interestingly, although water is uncovered to possess a relatively poor lubricity, the liquid mixture yields an optimized lubrication that is even exceedingly comparable to pure oil at a water volume fraction as high as 80%.