Hydropyrolysis bitumen

Characteristics of Tar Sand Bitumen Asphaltenes as Studied by Conversion of Bitumen by Hydropyrolysis... 

To test these hypotheses, a tar sand bitumen containing 20 wt % pentane asphaltenes was characterized and processed by hydropyrolysis before and after removal of asphaltenes. Product yields and structure were determined and the influence of asphaltenes on results was determined by inferrence. Feedstocks and products were characterized according to elemental analysis, physical properties, simulated distillation, and carbon-type analysis. Inferences made in this study are discussed in the context of the reported literature. 

The results in Table III show that the virgin bitumen that contains the asphaltenes produced relatively more gas and nonhydrocarbon products than did the maltenes. This trend with respect to gases and liquids appears to be confirmed by the results of the run with the asphaltene-enhanced bitumen however, appreciable quantities of coke were formed at the reaction conditions used and good material balances on this run were not achieved. Without essentially complete reduction of coke formation by hydropyrolysis, the significance of results for the asphaltene-enhanced bitumen are suspect. Removal of carbon in the form of coke will have an unknown effect on results that may not be attributable to asphaltenes. These results are included principally as negative results to show the dramatic effects that can result if asphaltenes are not fully dispersed and coke formation is not inhibited during hydropyrolysis. 

Chapters 10-12 cover important aspects of coke formation in metal tubular reactors during pyrolysis of hydrocarbons. Chapters 13 and 14 are concerned with coal and lignite pyrolysis. Chapters 15 and 16 deal with pitch formation from, respectively, heavy petroleum fraction and tar sand bitumen. Chapters 17 and 18 cover studies on the mechanisms of thermal alkylation and hydropyrolysis. Chapters 19 and 20 on oil shale deal with the properties of oil shale and shale oil as developed by techniques of microwave heating and thermal analysis. 

Hydropyrolysis The Potential for Primary Upgrading of Tar Sand Bitumen... 

Hydropyrolysis Process. Two hydropyrolysis reactors were used in this study. The Sunnyside and Asphalt Ridge bitumen were processed in a reactor consisting of a coiled stainless steel tube 3/16" i.d. x 236" long. This reactor has been previously described by Ramakrishnan (1). The TS-IIC oil was processed in a reactor originally developed for short residence time coal liquefaction. This reactor also consists of coiled stainless steel tubes 3/16" i.d. The length of this tube system can be varied from 20 to 120 feet, and has been previously described by Wood, et al. (10). The length of the reactor for runs reported in this paper was 100 feet. Average residence times were calculated from the volumetric flow rates and the reactor volume at process conditions. The reaction mixture, which is predominantly H, was assumed for purposes of this calculation to behave as an ideal gas. The reactors were pre-sulfided with H S to inhibit catalytic reactions from wall surfaces. 

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