Wednesday, April 20, 2016

Microwave-assisted nickel and vanadium removal from crude oil

CATEGORY: HEAVY CRUDE
Microwave-assisted nickel and vanadium removal from crude oil


Type
Journal Article
Author
Hui Shang
Author
Yu Liu
URL
Volume
142
Pages
250-257
Publication
Fuel Processing Technology
Date
February 2016
Abstract
Crude oil contains traces of metal complexes, including vanadium (V) and nickel (Ni) compounds, which are the most harmful catalyst poisons of fluid catalytic cracking (FCC) and hydrogenation units. These metals are difficult to remove, since they exist in crude oil as stable oil-soluble complexes. Microwave technology offers a new way for Ni/V removal. Researchers investigated their removal efficiency using chemical reagents and the mechanism of microwave-assisted demetallization.
They determined that demetallization efficiency can be highly enhanced under microwave irradiation. There is no specific structural selectivity for vanadium porphyrins during microwave treatment process. The demetallization agent — methanesulfonic acid, containing a sulfonyl acid group was found to react with VO2 + and Ni2 +. Ni and V were removed from porphyrin ring without destroying the ring structure, corresponding water soluble inorganic salts were formed, and accordingly can be successfully separated from crude oil by washing or desalting process.

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