Characterization of petroleum heavy fractions through molecular distillation process

Author(s)

Alessandra Winter

• Document type: Master's Dissertation
• Press: Campinas, SP.
• Institution: Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Faculdade de Engenharia Química
• Defense date: 2007-04-16

Examining board members

Maria Regina Wolf Maciel; Sérgio Nascimento Bordalo; César Benedito Batistella

• Advisor: Maria Regina Wolf Maciel

Abstract

In Brazil, large petroleum¿s reserves are of heavy oils. The high viscosity of these oils, complicates its exploration, flowing, transfer, primary processing and refining. If by one side, the Brazilian reality of heavy oils is large, in the other, the need for lighter products in industry is increasing and this demands new developments, adding value to these products. Within this context, this work has as objectives: development of a new methodology for heavy fraction characterizations of the national petroleum through the technology of molecular distillation. In order to meet these objectives, the following steps were carried out: familiarization with the molecular distillation process, including experiments with lubricants oils, conduction of experiments with two types of petroleum residue using the falling film molecular distiller, obtaining ultra heavy fractions (distillate and residue); characterization of distillates and residues, from different analytical methods and determination of the distillation curve (mass percentage of distillate in function of temperature). So, the characterization of petroleum heavy fractions generated from the molecular distiller will represent a considerable advance in the analyses of these fractions and, as an immediate consequence, it will upgrade the crude oil, besides the quality gain in the final product (AU)