Structural units of Athabasca asphaltene: The aromatics with a linear carbon framework

Journal Article · · Energy and Fuels; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1021/ef00027a015· OSTI ID:5143138

Payzant, J D; Lown, E M; Strausz, O P ^[1]

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1. Univ. of Alberta, Edmonton (Canada)

A flash pyrolysis method has been employed, allowing the production of pyrolysis oil from Athabasca asphaltene on the multigram scale, for the identification of homologous series of n-alkylbenzenes, 9-n-alkylfluorenes, and 1-n-alkyldibenzothiophenes. These aromatic classes of compounds were concentrated from the pyrolysis oil by a sequence of selective oxidative and chromatographic steps. Identification was based on comparison of GC retention times and mass spectra with those of synthetic standards or with literature values. The 1-n-alkyldibenzothiophenes were also found in the maltene fractions of several heavy oils and bitumens of northern Alberta and the 9-n-alkylfluorenes were found before in the maltene fraction of Athabasca bitumen. These aromatic compounds all possess alkyl substitution patterns which suggest that they have been derived by the cyclization and aromatization of precursor substances which possessed a linear carbon framework. The linear carbon framework of these and other compounds previously identified in the pyrolysis oil of Athabasca asphaltene contrasts with the terpenoid carbon framework which characterizes the compounds identified in the distillable portion of the maltene of the same bitumen and points to an n-alkanoic origin of the asphaltene.

• OSTI ID: 5143138
• Journal Information: Energy and Fuels; (United States), Journal Name: Energy and Fuels; (United States) Vol. 5:3; ISSN ENFUE; ISSN 0887-0624
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

02 PETROLEUM
023000 -- Petroleum-- Properties & Composition
04 OIL SHALES AND TAR SANDS
040500* -- Oil Shales & Tar Sands-- Properties & Composition
ALKENES
AROMATICS
ASPHALTENES
ASPHALTS
ATHABASCA DEPOSIT
BITUMENS
CHALCOGENIDES
CHEMICAL COMPOSITION
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
CHROMATOGRAPHY
CONDENSED AROMATICS
DATA
DECOMPOSITION
ENERGY SOURCES
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
FLASH HEATING
FOSSIL FUELS
FUELS
GAS CHROMATOGRAPHY
GEOLOGIC DEPOSITS
HEATING
HETEROCYCLIC COMPOUNDS
HYDROCARBONS
INFORMATION
MASS SPECTROSCOPY
NUMERICAL DATA
OIL SAND DEPOSITS
OILS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC SULFUR COMPOUNDS
OTHER ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
OXIDATION
PETROLEUM
POLYCYCLIC SULFUR HETEROCYCLES
PYROLYSIS
PYROLYSIS PRODUCTS
PYROLYTIC OILS
SAMPLE PREPARATION
SEPARATION PROCESSES
SPECTROSCOPY
STRUCTURAL CHEMICAL ANALYSIS
SULFIDES
SULFONES
SULFUR COMPOUNDS
SYNTHETIC FUELS
TAR
THERMOCHEMICAL PROCESSES
VISCOSITY