Comparative oxidation of adsorbed asphaltenes onto transition metal oxide nanoparticles

Colloids and Surfaces A: Physicochemical and Engineering Aspects, Volume 384, Issues 1-3, 5 July 2011, Pages 145-149
Comparative oxidation of adsorbed asphaltenes onto transition metal oxide nanoparticles
Nashaat N. Nassar, Azfar Hassan, Pedro Pereira-Almao
nassar@ucalgary.ca
ppereira@ucalgary.ca
Alberta Ingenuity Centre for In-Situ Energy, Department of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Abstract
Asphaltenes – waste hydrocarbons and problematic constituent present in heavy oil – are investigated for its oxidation onto different types of nanoparticles, namely NiO, Co3O4 and Fe3O4.
All nanoparticles tested show high adsorption affinity and catalytic activity for asphaltene adsorption and oxidation in the following order NiO > Co3O4 > Fe3O4. The oxidation temperature of asphaltenes decreased by 140, 136 and 100 °C with respect to non-catalytic oxidation in the presence of NiO, Co3O4, and Fe3O4 nanoparticles, respectively. There appears to be a correlation between the adsorption affinity and the catalytic activity.  In other words, the higher the affinity the greater the catalytic activity.
... This work looks at in situ heavy oil upgrading by the removal of asphaltenes with nanoparticles, followed by catalytic oxidation or steam gasification. By integrating heavy oil deasphalting technique with that of oxidation, important synergies would be realized. ...
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