Preparation of phase transfer functional catalysts and their application in viscosity reduction of heavy oils

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Four kinds of nanosilica-supported metallic and metatitanic acid nanocatalysts were synthesised as potential phase transfer catalysts for enhancing heavy oil recovery via a liquid-reduction method. The catalysts were carried by water and transferred into oil phase, and the catalytic performance of catalysts for the aquathermolysis reaction and viscosity reduction of the extra-heavy oil recovered at Shengli Oilfield (Dongying, China) was investigated. At a mass fraction of 1%, an aquathermolysis reaction temperature of 150°C and an aquathermolysis time of 36 h, the as-synthesised silica/zero valence iron and nickel (denoted as SiO2/Fe/Ni) catalyst was able to reduce the apparent viscosity of the two kinds of heavy oils by 79.3 and 77.6%, showing promising application in the industrial production of heavy crude oil.

Inspec keywords: catalysis; catalysts; nanostructured materials; iron; silicon compounds; nanofabrication; viscosity; titanium compounds; nickel; pyrolysis; crude oil; oil technology

Other keywords: nanosilica-supported metatitanic acid nanocatalysts; aquathermolysis reaction temperature; aquathermolysis reaction; phase transfer functional catalysts; Shengli Oilfield; catalytic performance; industrial production; viscosity reduction; mass fraction; heavy oil recovery; liquid-reduction method; nanosilica-supported metallic nanocatalysts; SiO2-Fe-Ni; heavy crude oil; aquathermolysis time; silica-zero valence iron catalysts; SiO2-H2TiO3; nickel catalyst

Subjects: Engineering materials; Mining, oil drilling and natural gas industries; Fuel processing industry; Decomposition reactions (pyrolysis, dissociation, and group ejection); Viscosity of liquids; diffusive momentum transport; Industrial processes; Heterogeneous catalysis at surfaces and other surface reactions


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