Investigation of the Behavior of Hydrocarbons during Crude Oil Fouling by High-Resolution Electrospray Ionization Mass Spectrometry

Aikaterini Kondyli and Wolfgang Schrader ()
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Aikaterini Kondyli: Max-Planck-Institut für Kohlenforschung, Kaiser-Wilhelm-Platz 1, 45470 Mülheim an der Ruhr, Germany
Wolfgang Schrader: Max-Planck-Institut für Kohlenforschung, Kaiser-Wilhelm-Platz 1, 45470 Mülheim an der Ruhr, Germany

Energies, 2024, vol. 17, issue 6, 1-12

Abstract: Crude oil is probably the most complex natural chemical mixture processed in various ways to make fuel and fine chemicals among a wide range of products in industrial processing. The conditions of those industrial processes often include high temperatures, which often cause undesired chemical reactions. One of those reaction sequences is crude oil fouling, which finally results in the formation of undesired solid deposits of carbon material, a calamity that costs millions of dollars worldwide each year and produces toxic waste. However, the compounds involved in fouling, let alone the underlying reaction mechanisms, are not understood to date. Here, in order to investigate chemical fouling, the process was simulated under laboratory conditions, focusing on hydrocarbons as the main constituents of crude oil. The results demonstrate large differences within the hydrocarbon class of compounds before and after thermal treatment, even for a very light crude oil fraction, which initially does not contain any bigger or heavier compounds. Here, the fouling reaction is simulated and studied on the molecular level using high-resolution mass spectrometry. After thermal treatment, new, higher molecular weight hydrocarbon compounds with high aromaticity were detected. Results indicate that a radical reaction leads to the formation of larger and more aromatic compounds. The findings were verified by the use of a model hydrocarbon compound to study the mechanism.

Keywords: fouling; crude oil; ultrahigh resolution mass spectrometry; complex reaction (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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