Experimental determination of molecular distillation process streams of petroleum residues and extension of TBP curve.

Author(s)

Rodrigo Santos Rocha

• Document type: Master's Dissertation
• Press: Campinas, SP.
• Institution: Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Faculdade de Engenharia Química
• Defense date: 2008-10-14

Examining board members

Maria Regina Wolf Maciel; Paulo Roberto Ribeiro; Galo Antonio Carrillo Le Roux

• Advisor: Rubens Maciel Filho; Maria Regina Wolf Maciel

Abstract

The TBP curve is an important tool that defines the yield of petroleum products in function of its true boiling points, supplying important information for decisions of refinery process control and quality of the produced oil. The TBP curve is well established for true boiling points up to 565?C, through established methods for the American Society and Testing Materials (ASTM). The use of a methodology for the characterization of heavy petroleum fractions with true boiling points above 565?C and the development of a procedure for the extension of TBP curve in this range has, therefore, a decisive impact to the best improvement of national crude oil, since they have an expressive amount of heavy fractions in its composition. To improve this data set of TBP curve for heavy oils, a methodology for the extension of TBP curve was established through the molecular distillation. The general objective of this work was to determine experimentally the extension of TBP curve for national heavy petroleum fractions, using the molecular distillation process. In this manner, the extension of TBP curve was made from the data attainment of molecular distiller for two types of oils not still studied for the LDPS/UNICAMP group and, through the application of DESTMOL correlation, the operating temperatures of the molecular distiller was converted for the corresponding true boiling points. In this process, the product streams were quantified and evaluated through physical-chemical characterizations. The methodology using molecular distillation reached TBP values up to 700?C, providing, so, considerable gain of distilled, representing a notable advance in this area. (AU)