Petroleum Fractions Research Articles

Hydro-Cracked Light Gas Oil Biodesulphurisation by Immobilised Pseudomonas aeruginosa Cells on Polyvinyl Alcohol

Abstract Refining petroleum fractions containing heterocyclic sulphur compounds to produce sulphur-free fuels, requires efficient desulphurisation methods. A new biocatalyst has been synthesised by immobilising Pseudomonas aeruginosa cells on polyvinyl alcohol by adsorption for hydro-cracked light gas oil bio-desulphurisation. The surface functional groups and biocatalyst morphology have been investigated by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy. The bio-desulphurisation of dibenzothiophene as a heterocyclic sulphur model compound of gas oil was achieved with an aqueous-oil ratio (v/v) of 50 %, where the removed mass was 0.3826 mg per gram of biocatalyst at equilibrium condition, bio-desulphurisation rate of 0.375 h–1 and removal percentage was 95.65 %. The biodegradation of dibenzothiophene and its derivatives in hydro-cracked light gas oil has been determined after a batch process using 0.5 g of the biocatalyst after 5 h of contact time at 37 °C. According to gas chromatography - mass spectrometry, ethyl and trimethyl derivatives of dibenzothiophene have been degraded by higher efficiencies in comparison with other derivatives. Also, thiophenes and mercaptans of the gasoil sample have been degraded simultaneously to some extent. Equilibrium data have been observed to obey the pseudo-first-order kinetic model. The cell immobilisation facilitates the interaction of surface functional groups with sulphur compounds. The synergistic effect of cell immobilisation on the bio-activity of bacterial cells was due to the maintenance of the heterotrophic, bacillus morphology of the cells after immobilisation. This approach provides a simple, economical method with mild operating conditions to produce low-sulphur light gas oil through the biodegradation of heterocyclic sulphur compounds.

Characterization of Equilibrium Catalysts from the Fluid Catalytic Cracking Process of Atmospheric Residue

In the FCC conversion of heavy petroleum fractions as atmospheric residues, the main challenge for refiners to achieve the quantity and quality of various commercial products depends essentially on the catalyst used in the process. A deep characterization of the catalyst at different steps of the process (fresh, regenerated, and spent catalyst) was investigated to study the catalyst’s behavior including the physicochemical evolution, the deactivation factor, and kinetic–thermodynamic parameters. All samples were characterized using various spectroscopy methods such as N2 adsorption–desorption, UV-visible spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, LECO carbon analysis, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray fluorescence (XRF), nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR13C) analysis, and thermogravimetric analysis. The results of the N2 adsorption–desorption, UV-vis, Raman, LECO carbon, and SEM imaging showed that the main causes of catalyst deactivation and coking were the deposition of carbon species that covered the active sites and clogged the pores, and the attrition factor due to thermal conditions and poisonous metals. The XRD and XRF results showed the catalyst’s physicochemical evolution during the process and the different interlinks between catalyst and feedstock (Nickel, Vanadium, Sulfur, and Iron) elements which should be responsible for the coking and catalyst attrition factor. It has been found that, in addition to the temperature, the residence time of the catalyst in the process also influences catalyst structure transformation. NMR13C analysis revealed that polyaromatic hydrocarbon is the main component in the deposited coke of the spent catalyst. The pyridine-FTIR indicates that the catalyst thermal treatment has an influence on its Brønsted and Lewis acid sites and the distribution of the products. Thermogravimetric analysis showed that the order of catalyst mass loss was fresh > regenerated > spent catalyst due to the progressive losses of the hydroxyl bonds (OH) and the structure change along the catalyst thermal treatment. Moreover, the kinetic and thermodynamic parameters showed that all zones are non-spontaneous endothermic reactions.

Quantification of fossil fuel CO2 from combined CO, δ13CO2 and Δ14CO2 observations

Abstract. We present a new method for partitioning observed CO2 enhancements (CO2xs) into fossil and biospheric fractions (Cff and Cbio) based on measurements of CO and δ13CO2, complemented by flask-based Δ14CO2 measurements. This method additionally partitions the fossil fraction into natural gas and petroleum fractions (when coal combustion is insignificant). Although here we apply the method only to discrete flask air measurements, the advantage of this method (CO- and δ13CO2-based method) is that CO2xs partitioning can be applied at high frequency when continuous measurements of CO and δ13CO2 are available. High-frequency partitioning of CO2xs into Cff and Cbio has already been demonstrated using continuous measurements of CO (CO-based method) and Δ14CO2 measurements from flask air samples. We find that the uncertainty in Cff estimated from the CO- and δ13CO2-based method averages 3.2 ppm (23 % of the mean Cff of 14.2 ppm estimated directly from Δ14CO2), which is significantly less than the CO-based method which has an average uncertainty of 4.8 ppm (34 % of the mean Cff). Using measurements of CO, δ13CO2 and Δ14CO2 from flask air samples at three sites in the greater Los Angeles (LA) region, we find large contributions of biogenic sources that vary by season. On a monthly average, the biogenic signal accounts for −14 to +25 % of CO2xs with larger and positive contributions in winter and smaller and negative contributions in summer due to net respiration and net photosynthesis, respectively. Partitioning Cff into petroleum and natural gas combustion fractions reveals that the largest contribution of natural gas combustion generally occurs in summer, which is likely related to increased electricity generation in LA power plants for air-conditioning.

Development of a highly tolerant bacterial consortium for asphaltene biodegradation in soils

Asphaltenes are the most polar and heavy fraction of petroleum, and their complex structure and toxicity make them resistant to biodegradation. The ability to tolerate high asphaltene concentrations is crucial to reducing the toxicity-related inhibition of microbial growth and improving their capacity for adaptation, survival, and biodegradation in soils highly contaminated with asphaltenes. This study developed a highly tolerant consortium for efficient asphaltene biodegradation in soils from 22 bacterial isolates obtained from heavy-crude oil-contaminated soils. Isolates corresponded to the Rhodococcus, Bacillus, Stutzerimonas, Cellulosimicrobium, Pseudomonas, and Paenibacillus genera, among others, and used pure asphaltenes and heavy crude oil as the only carbon sources. Surface plate assays were used to evaluate the tolerance of individual isolates to asphaltenes, and the results showed variations in the extension and inhibition rates with maximum tolerance levels at 60,000 mg asphaltenes l−1. Inhibition assays were used to select non-antagonistic bacterial isolates among those showing the highest tolerance levels to asphaltenes. A consortium made up of the five most tolerant and non-antagonistic bacterial isolates was able to degrade up to 83 wt.% out of 10,000 mg asphaltenes kg−1 in the soil after 52 days. Due to its biological compatibility, high asphaltene tolerance, and ability to utilise it as a source of energy, the degrading consortium developed in this work has shown a high potential for soil bioremediation and is a promising candidate for the treatment of aged soil areas contaminated with heavy and extra-heavy crude oil. This would be the first research to assess and consider extreme bacterial tolerance and microbial antagonism between individual degrading microbes, leading to the development of an improved consortium capable of efficiently degrading high amounts of asphaltenes in soil.

Synergy of blending HEFA with alternative petroleum fractions

Jet fuel is the fastest-growing oil-based commodity. As it is difficult to substitute it with other energies, more attention is being paid to sustainable aviation fuels (SAFs). Hydrogenated esters and fatty acids (HEFAs) dominate SAF now. The jet fuel consumption forecasts show that the share of petroleum hydrocarbons in jet fuel will remain high until 2050. As oil consumption will decline with electromobility, the availability of straight-run kerosene for jet fuel will also decline. For this reason, the utilization of alternative petroleum fractions, such as hydrocracking kerosene (Jet HC) or hydrotreated heavy FCC naphtha (FCC HN), and their miscibility with HEFA have been studied. These components were generally blendable with HEFA. All properties were linearly dependent on the HEFA content, with the exception of the smoke point. Taking into account the Jet A-1 requirements, only Jet HC met them completely. Since the components have opposing properties, blending them has opened an application window in jet fuel, wider for blends of HEFA with Jet HC (0–68 vol% HEFA) and narrower for HEFA with FCC HN (73–81 vol% HEFA). The limitations were the low density of HEFA and the high density, the high aromatic content, the low smoke point, and the low net calorific value of FCC HN. To expand the application window of FCC HN in jet fuel, further research will focus on the hydrogenation of aromatics.

N-N self-inhibition effect of aromatic N-heterocyclic compounds on NiWS supported γ-Al2O3 hydrotreating catalyst

The reason for high-difficulty nitrogen removal of aromatic N-heterocyclic compounds in petroleum fractions was investigated from the main thought of “NiWS property - Reaction behavior - DFT calculation”. The properties of the used catalyst were characterized by a series of techniques with the aim of providing the basis for model construction in the DFT calculations. The kinetic experiments in fixed-bed reactor revealed that although 1,2,3,4-tetrahydroquinoline (THQ1) and decahydroquinoline (DHQ), o-ethylaniline (OEA) exhibited relatively high yields in the HDN reaction of quinoline and indole respectively, they were all able to show high conversions and HDN rates when reacted as feedstocks alone. The study of product normalizations in the reaction system of the mixed feedstocks demonstrated that the difficulty of conversion of THQ1 and DHQ in quinoline HDN was mainly due to the inhibition effect of quinoline feedstock. While in the HDN of indole, the presence of the intermediate product OEA was the main factor for the low conversion of indole. This phenomenon of inhibition originating from within the molecular reaction network was proposed as N-N self-inhibition effect for the first time. The DFT calculations suggested that the inhibition of quinoline on THQ1 could be attributed to the adsorption advantage of quinoline, while the inhibition on DHQ was mainly due to the steric hindrance effect of DHQ itself. And the inhibition effect of OEA on indole can be mainly attributed to its greater nucleophilicity and stronger adsorption ability on the active sites compared with IND.

Isolation and Evaluation of Cytotoxic, Anti-Inflammatory, Anti-Ulcer Activity of Methanolic Extract of Ceriops decandra leaves

The current study was undertaken to provide scientific validation for the traditional medicinal applications of Ceriops decandra leaves in treating gastrointestinal disorders and inflammation. Additionally, the study aimed to isolate a pure component from the extracted leaves for further analysis. Lupeol was extracted from the crude methanolic extract of Ceriops decandra leaves by column chromatography as part of a phytochemical inquiry. Its structure was determined using 1H and 13C NMR spectroscopy. In order to assess the cytotoxicity, the unrefined methanolic extract was divided into two fractions: a petroleum fraction and an aqueous fraction, employing the modified Kupchan method. The brine shrimp lethality test revealed that both the aqueous and petroleum ether fractions had significant cytotoxic activity, with LC50 values of 1.93 µg/l and 2.04 µg/l, respectively. These values were compared to the LC50 value of the standard Vincristine Sulphate, which was found to be 0.02 µg/l. The results of the anti-inflammatory trial demonstrated that the administration of the extract at doses of 250mg/kg and 500mg/kg resulted in protection rates of 62.5% and 87.5%, respectively, as compared to the carrageenan control group after 3 hours post-injection. It is worth noting that Ibuprofen exhibited a higher level of protection, with a rate of 91.7%. In the context of ethanol-induced stomach ulcer, the administration of extracts at doses of 250 mg/kg and 500 mg/kg resulted in 45.5% and 59.1% protection against gastric ulcer, respectively. These findings were compared to the protective effect of Omeprazole, which demonstrated 63.6% protection and served as the standard reference. The findings suggest that the methanolic leaf extract of Ceriops decandra possesses robust cytotoxic and potent anti-inflammatory and anti-ulcer properties. These results provide support for the traditional application of this extract in the management of gastrointestinal diseases, inflammation, and cancer.

Catalytic activity of iron-containing carbon nanotubes in the oxidation reaction of the diesel fuel fraction

Liquid-phase aerobic oxidation of petroleum hydrocarbons catalyzed by carbon nanoparticles is focused on the real practical implementation over the rational processing of multicomponent petroleum feedstock. The use of metal-containing carbon nanostructures as catalysts allows known oxidation processes to be considered in the most modern strapping and simultaneously raises related questions about kinetics and mechanism of the process. This paper describes the formal kinetic regularities of the liquid-phase aerobic oxidation of the diesel fuel paraffin-naphthenic fraction in the presence of iron-containing multiwalled carbon nanotubes Fe@MWCNT. The purpose of the work is to determine the activity of the catalyst and the mechanism of its action. The reaction was carried out at 80°C, at which thermal decomposition of hydroperoxides is known to be almost non-existent and the reaction does not initiate. The induction period, the profile of the kinetic curves, and the oxygen uptake rate were taken as criteria for catalyst activity. As a result, it was shown that Fe@MWCNT additives have a significant ability to increase the rate of aerobic oxidation of diesel fractions. A general scheme of catalytic oxidation of hydrocarbons of the petroleum fraction in which the catalyst on a nanocarbon carrier reduces the dissociation energy of the C-H bond and activates the decomposition of hydroperoxides into active reactive particles has been proposed. Keywords: metal-containing carbon nanotubes; petroleum hydrocarbons; diesel fuel; paraffin-naphthenic fraction; oxidation induction period; catalytic hydroperoxide decomposition; oxygen uptake rate.

Prediction of Refractive Index of Petroleum Fluids by Empirical Correlations and ANN

The refractive index is an important physical property that is used to estimate the structural characteristics, thermodynamic, and transport properties of petroleum fluids, and to determine the onset of asphaltene flocculation. Unfortunately, the refractive index of opaque petroleum fluids cannot be measured unless special experimental techniques or dilution is used. For that reason, empirical correlations, and metaheuristic models were developed to predict the refractive index of petroleum fluids based on density, boiling point, and SARA fraction composition. The capability of these methods to accurately predict refractive index is discussed in this research with the aim of contrasting the empirical correlations with the artificial neural network modelling approach. Three data sets consisting of specific gravity and boiling point of 254 petroleum fractions, individual hydrocarbons, and hetero-compounds (Set 1); specific gravity and molecular weight of 136 crude oils (Set 2); and specific gravity, molecular weight, and SARA composition data of 102 crude oils (Set 3) were used to test eight empirical correlations available in the literature to predict the refractive index. Additionally, three new empirical correlations and three artificial neural network (ANN) models were developed for the three data sets using computer algebra system Maple, NLPSolve with Modified Newton Iterative Method, and Matlab. For Set 1, the most accurate refractive index prediction was achieved by the ANN model, with %AAD of 0.26% followed by the new developed correlation for Set 1 with %AAD of 0.37%. The best literature empirical correlation found for Set 1 was that of Riazi and Daubert (1987), which had %AAD of 0.40%. For Set 2, the best performers were the models of ANN, and the new developed correlation of Set 2 with %AAD of refractive index prediction was 0.21%, and 0.22%, respectively. For Set 3, the ANN model exhibited %AAD of refractive index prediction of 0.156% followed by the newly developed correlation for Set 3 with %AAD of 0.163%, while the empirical correlations of Fan et al. (2002) and Chamkalani (2012) displayed %AAD of 0.584 and 0.552%, respectively.

Effects of soil organic carbon metabolism on electro-bioremediation of petroleum-contaminated soil

Soil organic carbon (SOC) potentially interacts with microbial metabolism and may affect the degradation of petroleum-derived carbon (PDC) in the electro-bioremediation of petroleum-contaminated soil. This study evaluated the interactions among organic carbon, soil properties, and microbial communities to explore the role of SOC during the electro-bioremediation process. The results showed that petroleum degradation exerted superposition and synergistic electrokinetic and bioremediation effects, as exemplified by the EB and EB-PR tests, owing to the maintenance and enhancement of SOC utilization (P/S value), respectively. The highest P/S value (2.0–2.4) was found in the electrochemical oxidation zone due to low SOC consumption. In the biological oxidation zones, electric stimulation enhanced the degradation of PDC and SOC, with higher average P/S values than those of the Bio test. Soil pH, Eh, inorganic ions, and bioavailable petroleum fractions were the main factors reshaping the microbial communities. SOC metabolism effectively buffered the stress of environmental factors and pollutants while maintaining functional bacterial abundance, microbial alpha diversity, and community similarity, thus saving the weakened PDC biodegradation efficiency in the EB and EB-PR tests. The study of the effect of SOC metabolism on petroleum biodegradation contributes to the development of sustainable low-carbon electro-bioremediation technology.

Heat of Vaporization and Refractive Index Estimation for Hydrocarbons and Petroleum Fractions based on Simple Models

The present research reports that simple two parameter and three parameter models integrating normal boiling point, specific gravity and molecular weight of hydrocarbons can effectively be used for estimation of different important properties namely heat of vaporization and refractive index. Multivariate regression analysis was employed for model development based on experimental data of pure hydrocarbons reported in literature. Subsequently, it has been demonstrated that this model can be utilized further for prediction of those properties for different petroleum fractions as well. The developed simple generalized two parameter regression-based models can predict heat of vaporization of pure hydrocarbons (C3 – C30) and petroleum fractions with wide boiling point range from 355.5 to 646.8 K with good accuracy (percentage error less than 10% for pure hydrocarbons and lower than 13% for petroleum fractions) in addition, refractive index of petroleum fractions are estimated with percentage error of less than 4.01%. Moreover, comparison results demonstrated that developed models are more accurate and simpler for practical applications in petroleum industry as compared to earlier published correlations for both pure hydrocarbons and petroleum fractions.

Carbon disulfide removal from gasoline fraction using zinc-carbon composite synthesized using microwave-assisted homogenous precipitation

Carbon disulfide (CS2) is one of the sulfur components that are naturally present in petroleum fractions. Its presence causes corrosion issues in the fuel facilities and deactivates the catalysts in the petrochemical processes. It is a hazardous component that negatively impacts the environment and public health due to its toxicity. This study used zinc-carbon (ZC) composite as a CS2 adsorbent from the gasoline fraction model component. The carbon is derived from date stone biomass. The ZC composite was prepared via a homogenous precipitation process by urea hydrolysis. The physicochemical properties of the prepared adsorbent are characterized using different techniques. The results confirm the loading of zinc oxide/hydroxide carbonate and urea-derived species on the carbon surface. The results were compared by the parent samples, raw carbon, and zinc hydroxide prepared by conventional and homogeneous precipitation. The CS2 adsorption process was performed using a batch system at atmospheric pressure. The effects of adsorbent dosage and adsorption temperatures have been examined. The results indicate that ZC has the highest CS2 adsorption capacity (124.3 mg.g−1 at 30 °C) compared to the parent adsorbents and the previously reported data. The kinetics and thermodynamic calculation results indicate the spontaneity and feasibility of the CS2 adsorption process.

Property improvement of thermosetting natural rubber asphalt binder by mineral oil

To achieve environmental sustainability, a new type of thermosetting binder, namely thermosetting natural rubber asphalt binder (TNRA), was prepared using natural rubber. However, TNRA has some limitations such as poor compatibility, high initial viscosity, and insufficient flexibility, which require improvement. Mineral oil, a clean additive derived from petroleum fractionation products, has great potential for solving these problems associated with TNRA. This study aims to investigate the effect of mineral oil on TNRA compatibility, as well as its impact on workability, thermal stability, and mechanical properties. Experimental results demonstrate that mineral oil can enhance the compatibility of natural rubber-modified asphalt (NRMA), with aromatic oil playing a more significant role. Improving compatibility leads to improved flexibility of the cured NRMA (that is, TNRA). Furthermore, by balancing the effects of mineral oil on these properties, it is suggested that the ideal dosages of mineral oil are 1.5 times those of natural rubber latex. Finally, the mechanism of improving TNRA properties by mineral oil is explained from the perspective of asphalt colloid structure. The assumption of asphalt heterogeneous equilibrium colloidal structure provided in this study has been confirmed by experiments, and it is feasible to improve the compatibility of other polymer-modified asphalts by selecting light substances, such as mineral oil.

Elimination of the Ion–Molecule Association in Electrospray High-Resolution Mass Spectrometry Analyses for Petroleum Fractions

Electrospray ionization (ESI) coupled with high-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS) is rapidly developing into a powerful tool for the molecular characterization of petroleum fractions. However, the occurrence of ion–molecule aggregates seriously affects the interpretation of the mass spectrometry results. Ion–molecule aggregates are not inherent compounds in petroleum but they are produced during the analysis of petroleum samples by high-resolution mass spectrometry. Also, the classes of aggregates are the same as many compounds in petroleum. Therefore, the removal of these species is crucial, and their analysis from methods of dissociation and mechanism points of view is essential for this purpose. In this study, aggregates of a vacuum gas oil fraction were analyzed and the types were defined. The compositions of the aggregates were characterized by changing operating conditions. Several factors affecting the aggregates were evaluated by a parameter of dissociation efficiency. By establishing the operating methods, the residual content of the aggregates can be controlled by less than 1% of the total ions. The results are instructive for the molecular characterization of petroleum fractions by using mass spectrometry with ESI ionization.

Mineralogical Characterization of Pegmatites with Occurrences of Halloysite in the Regions of Porciúncula (RJ) and Patrocínio do Muriaé (MG), Southeastern Brazil

Halloysite (Al2Si2O5(OH)4.2H2O) is a polymorphic kaolinite mineral whose predominant morphology is tubular. Due to this characteristic, halloysite is widely used in industrial applications, such as manufacture of silica- luminous catalysts, used for industrial chemical reactions; French porcelain; and the cracking of petroleum fractions into gasoline. Halloysite also has potential as a nanomaterial, particularly as an ingredient in polymer nanocomposites and as active agent for medical, agricultural, and other uses. This clay mineral occurs in a wide variety of geological environments as a product of alteration of rocks rich in sodium and potassium feldspars, such as intrusive acid rocks, granites, anorthosites, and pegmatites. This article characterizes halloysite and describes the treating process of kaolin- halloysite samples from four pegmatites, located in Porciúncula (Rio de Janeiro State) and Patrocínio do Muriaé (Minas Gerais State). The samples of the studied pegmatites were treated for mineralogical characterization and analyzed by X-ray diffractometry and scanning electron microscopy. Density, granulometry, and visual appearance of the grains were also analyzed. The samples were found to be composed of kaolinite/halloysite, feldspar, quartz, biotite, goethite and muscovite. Using X-ray diffractometry, gibbsite were also identified in one sample. With the results presented here, the two regions can be possible targets for researching halloysite deposits in the states of Rio de Janeiro and Minas Gerais.

Co-liquefaction of faecal sludge and water hyacinth: Exploring the fuel characteristics of biocrude including thermal maturation and petroleum fractionation

Today's world is facing a great economic crisis due to the increasing rate of fuel prices as well as irreversible depletion of it has gained major concern regarding future energy security. To mitigate such a problem this study investigated co-liquefaction (co-HTL) of faecal sludge (FS) and water hyacinth (WH) at varying FS to WH ratios (3:1, 1:1, 1:3) for biocrude production. The maximum biocrude yield was 33.47% with a higher heating value (HHV) of 29 MJ kg−1 and an energy recovery (ER) rate of 70.11% for a 1:1 ratio. The comprehensive characteristics of co-HTL biocrude showed 61.84%, 10.16%, 25.23%, 2.37%, 0.39% of C, H, O, N, S, and the highest HHV of 30.88 MJ kg−1 for 1:3 ratio. Co-liquefaction significantly improved the H/C ratio and ER of biocrude. The thermal maturation properties showed biocrudes were mainly immature quality with highly oil-prone which implies predominant hydrocarbon potential. The American Petroleum Institute (API) gravity analysis based on FTIR revealed that biocrudes were heavy type oil due to higher specific gravity (≥1). GC-MS results demonstrated that biocrude contained fatty acids, ester, alcohols, hydrocarbons, phenol, and ketone. The petroleum fractionation of co-HTL (1:1) biocrude showed a tendency to produce kerosene-like fuel. An economic valuation was predicted that through the co-HTL maximum of 6.39 bbls Mt−1 of biocrude could be produced according to the 1:3 mixing ratio of biomass which could revenue $ 683.73. The energy balance analysis suggested that the co-HTL of FS and WH is an energetically viable and economic system.

Properties of Selected Alternative Petroleum Fractions and Sustainable Aviation Fuels

With regard to speed, comfort, and a dense network of destinations, the popularity of air transport is on the rise. For this reason, jet fuel is a commodity with rapidly growing consumption and interesting refinery margins. At the same time, however, it is becoming a focus of attention in terms of reducing negative environmental impacts. As a response to these trends, it will be necessary to coprocess alternative petroleum fractions with sustainable aviation components in oil refineries. Six alternative jet fuel samples of different origin were used to investigate their jet fuel-specific properties, that is, aromatics (from 0 to 59.7 vol%), smoke point (from 12.2 to >50 mm), freezing point (from −49 to <−80 °C) and net specific energy (41.2–43.7 MJ·kg−1), and these properties were compared to standard hydrotreated straight-run Jet A-1 kerosene. The properties of the components studied differed significantly with respect to each other and to the requirements of Jet A-1. Nevertheless, the properties could be well correlated. This provides an opportunity to study possible synergies in blending these components. It was also found that the current methods and instruments used do not always allow a precise determination of the smoke point (>50 mm) and freezing point (<80 °C).

Application of an Eco-Friendly Adhesive and Electrochemical Nanostructuring for Joining of Aluminum A1050 Plates

In adhesive joints used in several industrial applications, the adherends' bonding is made using an adhesive, which is usually an epoxy resin. However, since these adhesives are derived from petroleum fractions, they are harmful to the environment, due to the pollutants produced both during their manufacture and subsequent use. Thus, in recent years, effective steps have been made to replace these adhesives with ecological (green) ones. The present work focuses on the study of aluminum A1050 joints bonded with a green adhesive; the study also involves the electrochemical anodization method applied to adherends for nano-functionalization. The nanostructured aluminum adherends allow the formation of an expanded surface area for adhesion, compared to the non-anodized adherends. For comparison reasons, two different adhesives (Araldite LY1564 and Green Super Sap) were used. In addition, for the same reasons, both anodized and non-anodized aluminum adherends were joined with both types of adhesives. The lap joints were subsequently tested under both shear-tension and three-point bending conditions. The major findings were that aluminum A1050 anodization in all cases resulted in shear strength enhancement of the joints, while joints with both aluminum anodized and non-anodized adherends and bonded with the eco-friendly adhesive showed a superior shear behavior as compared to the respective joints bonded with Araldite adhesive.

A multi-population particle swarm optimization algorithm with adaptive patterns of movement for the stochastic reconstruction of petroleum fractions

Molecular reconstruction (MR) methods are used to estimate the detailed composition of a hydrocarbon mixture at the molecular level based on experimental data. Stochastic reconstruction (SR) is one of the MR approaches available to this end. Obtaining the solution involves estimating a set of probability density function (PDF) parameters with a global optimization algorithm. However, to the author's knowledge, no other study has thoroughly explored using metaheuristics to improve parameter estimation in this problem. By combining ideas from Chang (2015) and Bonyadi (2018), this study proposes a novel heuristic optimization algorithm named Multi-Population Particle Swarm Optimization with Adaptive Movement Patterns (MPSO-AMP). Since multiple swarms are employed simultaneously with unique movement patterns, the proposed algorithm can render more exact solutions in SR problems than conventional particle swarm optimization (PSO) and other extensions from the literature.

Improving yields, compatibility and tailoring the properties of hydrothermal liquefaction bio-crude using yellow grease

Low quality waste feedstocks like food wastes, waste fats, manures etc. offer huge potential for replacing an appreciable quantity of petroleum crude. Owing to high water content of some of these feedstocks, hydrothermal liquefaction is the preferred route for its transformation. The present work performed in a continuous pilot scale hydrothermal liquefaction system studies the influence of yellow grease on the yields and quality of bio-crude, properties of bio-crude/blends, and its compatibility with petroleum fractions. Blends of food waste, yellow grease, and algae were used as feedstocks. Key fuel properties such as density and viscosity of bio-crudes and its blends with diesel and butanol were evaluated. Compatibility of different bio-crudes with petroleum fraction was investigated using microscopy imaging of blends of bio-crude and commercial diesel. Enhanced yields of bio-crude and lower asphaltene content were observed with the addition of waste lipids in the form of yellow grease while also decreasing the viscosity and density of bio-crude. Bio-crude from food wastes showed regions of compatibility at higher bio-crude concentrations while lower concentrations of bio-crude were incompatible. A combination of feedstock mix and blending of bio-crude could be used to improve the properties and compatibility of bio-crude for specific end-use devices and processes.