Harnessing the Power of Microwave Irradiation: A Novel Approach to Bitumen Partial Upgrading.
Molecules
; 28(23)2023 Nov 25.
Article
em En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-38067499
ABSTRACT
The partial upgrading of "tar-like" Canadian bitumen is an essential process to reduce its viscosity to an acceptable range that meets the required pipeline specifications. An innovative and potentially greener solution has emerged in the form of microwave irradiation. This work proposes and demonstrates the use of an electrically powered commercial microwave along with carbon-based microwave susceptors (activated carbon, biochar, coke, and graphite) to promote localized thermal cracking within bitumen at a temperature as low as 150 °C, compared to the conventional method of 400 °C. The remarkable results show that just 0.1 wt% of carbon additives can reduce the viscosity of bitumen by 96% with just 10 min of microwaving at 200 °C. A Saturates, Aromatics, Resins, and Asphaltenes (SARA) analysis reveals that the mass fractions of light components (saturates) are almost doubled and that almost one-third of heavy polar hydrocarbon constituents are cracked and decomposed into much lighter molecules, resulting in higher-quality, less viscous bitumen. Furthermore, this study highlights the key role of the surface area and porosity of the carbon microwave susceptor in absorbing microwave radiation, offering exciting new avenues for optimization. Microwave-assisted partial upgrading of bitumen is a cost-effective and eco-friendly alternative to conventional upgrading, producing upgraded bitumen that requires significantly less diluent at a lower cost prior to pipeline transportation.
Texto completo:
1
Bases de dados:
MEDLINE
Idioma:
En
Revista:
Molecules
Assunto da revista:
BIOLOGIA
Ano de publicação:
2023
Tipo de documento:
Article
País de afiliação:
Canadá