Use of unsupported, mechanically alloyed NiWMoC nanocatalyst to reduce the viscosity of aquathermolysis reaction of heavy oil

Olvera, Jesús Noé Rivera; Gutiérrez, Guadalupe Juliana; Romero‐Serrano, Antonio; Ovando, Abraham Medina; Garibay-Febles, V.; Arceo, L. Díaz Barriga

doi:10.1016/j.catcom.2013.09.027

Cited by 49 publications

(23 citation statements)

References 12 publications

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“…[5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21] Because of their special and unique properties, nanoparticles are able to improve the mobility of oil under reservoir conditions and may be used as adsorbents/catalysts for 3 enhancing the upgrading and recovery of heavy oil. 5,11,13,14,22,23 The small size of the nanoparticles (between 1 and 100 nm) allows these particles unimpeded transport and a good dispersion ability through porous media, without risk of blocking the pores. 13 Further, the high ratio of the surface area/volume of the nanoparticles as well as their surface functionality makes them good adsorbents for heavy polar hydrocarbons in crude oils, such as asphaltenes.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Influence of Asphaltene Aggregation on the Adsorption and Catalytic Behavior of Nanoparticles

et al. 2015

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This study is a continuation of our previous works on the use of metal-based nanoparticles for the adsorption of asphaltenes and its subsequent catalytic thermal decomposition. In this study, we evaluated the effects of asphaltene aggregation on the adsorption process and the subsequent catalytic oxidation using fumed silica and nanoparticles of NiO and/or PdO supported on fumed silica. Adsorption isotherms were constructed through batch adsorption experiments at 25°C by using mixtures of n-heptane and toluene in amounts of 0, 20 %v/v (heptol 20) and 40 %v/v (heptol 40) of n-heptane to obtain different aggregate sizes of asphaltenes. Subsequently, asphaltene oxidation in the presence and absence of the nanoparticles was carried out in a TGA/FTIR system to investigate the impact of adsorbed asphaltene aggregates on the catalytic activity of the selected nanoparticles. The adsorption isotherms were described by the solid-liquid equilibrium (SLE) model, and the catalytic behavior of the nanoparticles was compared based upon the trend of effective activation energies using the isoconversional method of Ozawa−Flynn−Wall (OFW). The results showed that the K parameter of the SLE model for both nanoparticles followed the trend of heptol 40 > heptol 20 > toluene, indicating that as the amount of precipitant in the solution increases, a higher degree of asphaltene self-association on the active site of the catalysts is found. On the other hand, the H parameter revealed higher adsorption affinities as the nheptane in the solution increased. However, when different adsorbents were compared at a fixed asphaltene concentration from the same solution it was found that the use of functionalized nanoparticles led to a lower degree of asphaltene self-association and a higher affinity. A correlation between the effective activation energies from the OFW model and the SLE parameters was developed, finding that for a fixed adsorbent, the E α increases as the affinity and the degree of self-association of asphaltenes increases. However, when the same asphaltenes were compared using different adsorbents, it was observed that the E α increases as the affinity decreases and the degree of asphaltene selfassociation increases. Consequently, this work shows the effect of the adsorption process on the catalytic activity of the nanoparticles. The reported results should give a better context for the use of such nanoparticles for the upgrading of heavy and extra-heavy oil.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Influence of Asphaltene Aggregation on the Adsorption and Catalytic Behavior of Nanoparticles

et al. 2015

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“…These results may be connected to the high contact area of nanoparticles, which renders a higher likelihood of particles' aggregation. This dependence is supported by experiments considering the grinding time of the nanoparticles [144]. As the latter increased (i.e., particle size decreased), the ratio of the viscosity reduction increased (Figure 42).…”

Section: Type Size and Concentration Of Nanoparticlesmentioning

confidence: 56%

“…The studies carried out on the topic were focused mainly on the particles used as nanocatalysts, and a minor part dealt with the technologies used to increase the temperature in order to trigger the upgrading processes. The materials reported in the literature are: VO 2+ [142], Ni [36,37,[142][143][144][145][146], Fe [142,143,147], W [36,37,144,148], Mo [36,37,144], Cu [143,147], Zr [148], Co [147], Cr [147], Pd [147], C [149], SiO 2 [150], SiO 2 /nanoFe [151], K 3 PMo 12 O 40 [152], and nanoclays (montmorillonite (MMT), modified with a quaternary ammonium salt) [153].…”

Section: Nanocatalystsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Plenty of Room at the Bottom: Nanotechnology as Solution to an Old Issue in Enhanced Oil Recovery

2018

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During the past half-century, the prefix "nano" attached to several words, such as "technology", "motors", "device", and so on has denoted cutting-edge research fields and topics at the forefront of classical scientific disciplines. Possible application fields have been frequently evoked, even if real-life examples are still difficult to find. The present review analyzes how nanotechnology is utilized in enhanced oil recovery (EOR) processes so as to increase the efficiency of mature oilfields. Nanotechnology in EOR is classified into three categories: nanoparticles/nanofluids, nanoemulsions, and nanocatalysts. The advantages at the nanoscale are also described and discussed, including an overview of manufacturing methods as well as the concerns about their possible environmental impacts. Clearly, nanotechnology has the potential to boost EOR techniques, although there are still many questions and drawbacks to be tackled.

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“…Previous laboratory studies on other heavy oils have shown that they could be catalytically upgraded despite adverse condition of high brine concentration and oil impurities (Gregoli A.A., 1989;Olvera et al, 2014). Field studies of catalytic upgrading are not readily available in the open literature.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Heavy Crude Oil Recovery Enhancement and In-Situ Upgrading During Steam Injection Using Ni-Co-Mo Dispersed Catalyst

Shuwa

Al‐Hajri

Mohsenzadeh

et al. 2016

Day 2 Tue, March 22, 2016

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Steam injection has become commercially available thermal enhanced oil recovery methods for recovering heavy crudes. Recently, there has been increase in research interest in in-situ catalytic upgrading. In this work, experimental investigations on the application of a new submicron dispersed trimetallic catalyst based on Ni-Co-Mo for enhanced recovery and upgrading of Omani heavy crude oil was conducted. The catalysis effect of the ultra-dispersed Ni-Co-Mo metals generated in-situ from water-in-oil emulsion was studied in the presence of sand packed bed as a porous medium in a steam simulation process. The results from the recovery tests showed a higher oil recovery (15% OOIP) in the presence of the catalyst than base steam injection case. Substantial improvement in quality of produced oil was observed as there was a tremendous reduction in oil's viscosity of about 25% with significant reduction in sulfur (26%), and increase in API gravity (10%). This enhancement of the quality of Produced liquids in terms of increase in API gravity, viscosity and sulfur reduction, is an indication of successful in situ upgrading of the oil. Analysis of solid and gaseous products recovered from the experimental runs conducted with the catalyst showed thermal expansion and viscosity reduction due to catalytic hydrocracking as the dominant mechanisms for oil recovery.

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Use of unsupported, mechanically alloyed NiWMoC nanocatalyst to reduce the viscosity of aquathermolysis reaction of heavy oil

Cited by 49 publications

References 12 publications

Influence of Asphaltene Aggregation on the Adsorption and Catalytic Behavior of Nanoparticles

Influence of Asphaltene Aggregation on the Adsorption and Catalytic Behavior of Nanoparticles

Plenty of Room at the Bottom: Nanotechnology as Solution to an Old Issue in Enhanced Oil Recovery

Heavy Crude Oil Recovery Enhancement and In-Situ Upgrading During Steam Injection Using Ni-Co-Mo Dispersed Catalyst

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