Chemical and mathematical modeling of asphaltene reaction pathways

Thesis/Dissertation · Wed Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1986

OSTI ID:7183081

Salvage, P E

Precipitated asphaltene was subjected to pyrolysis and hydropyrolysis, both neat and in solvents, and catalytic hydroprocessing. A solvent extraction procedure defined gas, maltene, asphaltene, and coke product fractions. The apparent first order rate constant for asphaltene conversion at 400/sup 0/C was relatively insensitive to the particular reaction scheme. The yield of gases likewise showed little variation and was always less than 10%. On the other hand, the maltene and coke yields were about 20% and 60%, respectively, from neat pyrolysis, and about 60% and less than 5%, respectively, from catalytic reactions. The temporal variations of the product fractions allowed discernment of asphaltene reaction pathways. The primary reaction of asphaltene was to residual asphaltene, maltenes, and gases. The residual asphaltene reacted thermally to coke and catalytically to maltenes at the expense of coke. Secondary degradation of these primary products led to lighter compounds. Reaction mechanism for pyrolysis of asphaltene model compounds and alkylaromstics were determined. The model compound kinetics results were combined with a stochastic description of asphaltene structure in a mathematical model of asphaltene pyrolysis. Individual molecular product were assigned to either the gas, maltene, asphaltene, or coke product fractions, and summation of the weights of each constituted the model's predictions. The temporal variation of the product fractions from simulated asphaltene pyrolysis compared favorably with experimental results.

• Research Organization: Delaware Univ., Newark (USA)
• OSTI ID: 7183081
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT
010409* -- Coal
Lignite
& Peat-- Pyrolysis & Carbonization-- (1987-)
02 PETROLEUM
020300 -- Petroleum-- Drilling & Production
03 NATURAL GAS
033000 -- Natural Gas-- Properties & Composition
ASPHALTENES
ASPHALTS
BITUMENS
CATALYSIS
CHEMICAL REACTION KINETICS
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
DECOMPOSITION
HYDROGENATION
KINETICS
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
OTHER ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
PYROLYSIS
REACTION KINETICS
SOLVENTS
TAR
THERMOCHEMICAL PROCESSES