Heat Treatment Condition Influence on Novokuibyshevsk Vacuum Residue Component Composition

The article presents the information about thermal degradation of Novokuibyshevsk vacuum residue and change of products composition during this process. The optimal conditions for the thermal destruction of vacuum residue components were established. The regularities of material balance composition change, Sgeneral were determined depending on cracking conditions. The basic directions of resin-asphaltene component transformations were identified, changes in their structural-group parameters in the process of initiated cracking were analyzed. Conducting of Novokuibyshevsk vacuum residue thermolysis leads to deep resins-asphaltenes average molecules structure characteristic changes. Developed alkyl and naphthenic moieties, which are presented in initial molecule, undergo degradation, amount of structural blocks in resins and asphaltenes molecules reduces, their average size decreases. Also the reduction in total content of the rings (saturated and aromatic) was established in average structural unit, at the same time decrease of rings substitution and length of the aliphatic fragments can be observed. In general the process of vacuum residue thermal cracking causes partial degradation of saturated (aliphatic and naphthenic) fragments and, partially, aromatic rings, which contain heteroatomic elements

Mechanistic study to investigate the effects of different gas injection scenarios on the rate of asphaltene deposition: An experimental approach

Asphaltene deposition during enhanced oil recovery (EOR) processes is one of the most problematic challenges in the petroleum industry, potentially resulting in flow blockage. Our understanding of the deposition mechanism with emphasis on the rate of the asphaltene deposition is still in its infancy and must be developed through a range of experiments and modelling studies. This study aims to investigate the rate of asphaltene deposition through a visual study under different gas injection scenarios. To visualise the asphaltene deposition, a high-pressure setup was designed and constructed, which enables us to record high-quality images of the deposition process over time. Present research compares the effects of nitrogen (N2), carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4) on the rate of asphaltene deposition at different pressures. The experimental results in the absence of gas injection revealed that the rate of asphaltene deposition increases at higher pressures. The results showed that the rate of asphaltene deposition in the case of CO2 injection is 1.2 times faster than CH4 injection at 100 bar pressure. However, N2 injection has less effect on the deposition rate. Finally, it has been concluded that the injection of CO2 leads to more asphaltene deposition in comparison with CH4 and N2. Moreover, the experimental results confirmed that gas injection affects the mechanism of asphaltene flocculation and leads to the formation of bigger flocculated asphaltene particles. The findings of this study can help for a better understanding of the mechanism of the asphaltene deposition during different gas-EOR processes

Proton order in the ice crystal surface

The physics of the ice crystal surface and its interaction with adsorbates are not only of fundamental interest but also of considerable importance to terrestrial and planetary chemistry. Yet the atomic-level structure of even the pristine ice surface at low temperature is still far from well understood. This computational study focuses on the pattern of dangling H and dangling O (lone pairs) atoms at the basal ice surface. Dangling atoms serve as binding sites for adsorbates capable of hydrogen- and electrostatic bonding. Extension of the well known orientational disorder (“proton disorder”) of bulk crystal ice to the surface would naturally suggest a disordered dangling atom pattern; however, extensive computer simulations employing two different empirical potentials indicate significant free energy preference for a striped phase with alternating rows of dangling H and dangling O atoms, as suggested long ago by Fletcher [Fletcher NH (1992) Philos Mag 66:109–115]. The presence of striped phase domains within the basal surface is consistent with the hitherto unexplained minor fractional peaks in the helium diffraction pattern observed 10 years ago. Compared with the disordered model, the striped model yields improved agreement between computations and experimental ppp-polarized sum frequency generation spectra