Catalytic Low-Temperature Thermolysis of Heavy Oil in the Presence of Fullerene C60 Nanoparticles in Aquatic and N2 Medium

Catalytic thermolysis is considered to be an effective process for viscosity reduction, the conversion of high-molecular components of oil (resins and asphaltenes) into light hydrocarbons, and the desulfurization of hydrocarbons. In this paper, we conducted non-catalytic and catalytic thermolysis of a heavy oil sample isolated from the Ashalcha oil field (Tatarstan, Russia) at a temperature of 250 degrees C. Fullerene C60 nanoparticles were applied to promote selective low-temperature thermolytic reactions in the heavy oil, which increase the depth of heavy oil upgrading and enhance the flow behavior of viscous crude oil. In addition, the influence of water content on the performance of heavy oil thermolysis was evaluated. It was found that water contributes to the cracking of high-molecular components such as resins and asphaltenes. The destruction products lead to the improvement of group and fractional components of crude oil. The results of the experiments showed that the content of asphaltenes after the aquatic thermolysis of the heavy oil sample in the presence of fullerene C60 was reduced by 35% in contrast to the initial crude oil sample. The destructive hydrogenation processes resulted in the irreversible viscosity reduction of the heavy oil sample from 3110 mPa(.)s to 2081 mPa(.)s measured at a temperature of 20 degrees C. Thus, the feasibility of using fullerene C60 as an additive in order to increase the yield of light fractions and reduce viscosity is confirmed.

Automated summary

In this study, catalytic thermolysis of a heavy oil sample from the Ashalcha oil field in Russia was conducted at 250 degrees C. Fullerene C60 nanoparticles were used as catalysts to promote the thermolytic reactions in the heavy oil and improve its flow behavior. The presence of water was found to contribute to the cracking of high-molecular components, resulting in a reduction of asphaltenes in the crude oil. The addition of fullerene C60 as an additive was confirmed to increase the yield of light fractions and reduce viscosity.