Analysis of Heavy Oils: Method Development and Application to Cerro Negro Heavy Petroleum: Preliminary Separation and Analysis of Acid, Base, Saturate, and Neutral-Aromatic Fractions

摘要

Cerro Negro 200-425/degree/, 425-550/degree/, and 550-700/degree/C distillates and >700/degree/C residue were separated into acid, base, and neutral concentrates using an improved nonaqueous ion exchange liquid chromatographic procedure. Neutral concentrates were further separated into neutral aromatic and saturated hydrocarbon fractions. A dual column, normal phase high performance liquid chromatographic method was developed for the saturate-aromatic separation. Mass and elemental balances are given for separations of all distillates and the residue. In addition, fractions from the 200-425/degree/C and 425-550/degree/C distillates were analyzed by high resolution mass spectrometry. The applicability of published separation approaches and methods to heavy oil analysis is critically reviewed; the bulk of the available methodology developed for conventional petroleum and synfuels was found to be unproven or unsuitable for heavy oil analysis. Cerro Negro was found to contain 18.2 weight percent acids, 17.6 weight percent bases, 46.9 weight percent neutral aromatics, and 14.7 weight percent saturated hydrocarbons. Saturate fractions contained predominantly cycloparaffins, neutral-aromatics were largely comprised of aromatic hydrocarbons and sulfur compounds, bases were largely nitrogen-containing compounds, and acids were mostly oxygen-containing compounds and nitrogen compounds of pyrrolic type. 145 refs., 24 figs., 21 tabs. (ERA citation 14:005843)