Project Title: Selective Separation of Vanadium and Nickel compounds from Bitumen
Principal Investigator: M.R. Gray
Co-Investigators: S. Kuznicki, A. Kovalenko, J. Stryker
Sponsor: COSI
Project Description: Vanadium and nickel are the most troublesome metal complexes present in the organic portions of bitumen deposits. Therefore, it is imperative that new technologies be developed for the selective removal of these contaminants from heavy oils and bitumen residua. These metals occur mainly in the “asphaltene” fraction of the oil, the fraction that precipitates in an n-alkane solvent and which includes the highest molecular weight components of the bitumen. Most of the past work on metals removal from bitumen was on coking, precipitation of asphaltenes, and catalytic hydroconversion. Limited research has been conducted on adsorption on carbon based materials. Conventional chromatographic materials adsorb the asphaltene material so strongly in the presence of a mixture of bitumen and solvent that it cannot be removed, so that these materials are never used as adsorbents for asphaltene separation. Consequently, new methods for selective separation of metals are required. We plan to explore the use of low-surface activity solids to separate the asphaltenes into subfractions, without irreversible adsorption. Also, we plan to separate asphaltenes chromatographically using different silica materials prepared in collaboration with the research group of Dr Steven Kuznicki (U of A). We will investigate the separation and recovery efficiency as a function of solvent strength, which in turn controls the degree of molecular association of the asphaltenes. Spectroscopic measurements, including UV-visible and fluorescence spectrometry, will be used to quantify the fractions and investigate the molecular characteristics (in the case of fluorescence). The separated fractions will also be analyzed for metals content by inductively-coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Our goal is to determine the conditions for successful separation of the organometallic compounds (vanadium and nickel) by using the information gained in the previous steps.
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Negin Razavilar
(MSc program)
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Loredana Dorobantu
(PhD program)
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Project Title: Atomic force microscopy study of physicochemical properties of bacterial
Supervisor: M.R. Gray
Sponsor: NSERC
Project Description: The structure and physicochemical properties of microbial surfaces at the molecular level determine their adhesion to surfaces and interfaces.
The objective of this project is to use atomic force microscopy (AFM) to explore the morphology and interactions of soft, living bacterial cells in aqueous buffer, with chemically functionalized AFM tips, terminating in hydrophobic and hydrophilic groups.
Results from this study will enable the integration of microscopic findings into macroscopic processes such as bioremediation and bioprocesses.
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Project Title: Selective Separation of Petroporphyrins from Bitumen and Asphaltenes
Supervisors: M.R. Gray & J.M. Stryker
Sponsor: COSI (Centre for Oilsands Innovation)
Project Description: In order to improve the upgrading potential for bitumen and asphaltenes, petroporphyrins as hydroprocessing catalyst poisons are to be removed selectively. The current interdisciplinary technology employs chemical treatment of petroporphyrins by modification of porphyrin ligands and then removal of the modified petroporphyrins by affinity chromatography. Other side of the project consists of designing affinity ligands that interact preferentially with petroporphyrins for on-step separation by affinity chromatography.
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Cindy-Xing Yin
(Postdoctoral Fellow)
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Xiao Li Tan
(Post Doctoral Fellow)
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Project Title: Synthesis and Characterization of Model Compounds for Asphaltenes from Oil Sands Bitumen
Supervisors: H. Fenniri (National Institute for Nanotechnology) and M.R. Gray
Sponsor: Alberta Ingenuity/ NSERC
Project Description: The objective of this research is to design and synthesize model compounds that are made up of the structures of real asphaltenes and mimic the physical and chemical properties of asphaltenes, in order to make a breakthrough in understanding of asphaltene behaviour.
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Project Title: Catalytic Decarboxylation of Naphthenate Acids in Crude oil
Supervisor: M.R. Gray
Sponsor: Suncor Energy & NSERC
Project Description: Naphthenate Acid corrosivity is a significant concern in bitumen processing and upgrading due to the possibility of equipment failures and the downstream effects of metal naphthenate. When untreated distillates that contain naphthenate acids are offered to downstream refineries, the desirability and price are affected by the same problems during refining. One of the simplest methods to reduce naphthenic acid content is to use catalysts to decompose the acids into neutral compounds. Thus, the objective of my research is to develop an active alkaline earth metal-based catalyst for the liquid phase catalytic decarboxylation of naphthenic acids in bitumen-derived distillate fraction, and to study the kinetics of liquid phase decarboxylation of naphthenate acid in oils.
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Ling Yang
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Hasan Abbasnezhad
(Ph.D. program)
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Project Title: Developing New Bioremedation Solutions Based on Microbial Attachment
Supervisors: MR Gray
Sponsor: Syncrude/NSERC Chair in Bitumen Upgrading
Project Area: Syncrude/NSERC Chair in Bitumen Upgrading Hydroprocessing
Project Description: The interface between the oil and the water is of supreme importance for both bioremediation and bioprocessing of hydrocarbons. Attachment to hydrophobic surfaces is a common and natural strategy used by microorganisms to overcome limitations of solubility of hydrocarbons. In some bioremediation projects, addition of surfactants has reduced performance, possibly due to detachment of the bacteria from the oil/water interface. In contrast, promoting adhesion of microbes to oil could be valuable in bioremediation, which has not been studied in detail so far. Our research will investigate new methods to modify surface hydrophobicity and consequently the attachment of microorganisms, to provide new designs for bioremediation and bioprocessing strategies and for optimizing existing processes.
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Project Title: Selective Separation of Vanadium and Nickel Compounds from Bitumen
Supervisors: M.R. Gray
Sponsor: NSERC Postgraduate Scholarship/ COSI (Centre for Oilsands Innovation)
Project Description: The long-term objective of this research is to develop new separation technologies for separation of the organometallic components of vanadium and nickel from bitumen. The presence of these metal compounds in the bitumen results in increased upgrading costs due to catalyst fouling in upgrading reactors. In order to enable more selective separation methods for removal of metals, we need to understand the rates of release and diffusion of the metal bearing species. This project is investigating the transport of metal-bearing compounds in bitumen, focusing on the release of the metals from aggregates as a function of the conditions in the liquid phase. |
Greg Dechaine
(Ph.D. candidate)
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Chris Holt
(MSc. program)
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Project Title: Electrocatalytic Hydrogenation of Bitumen Distillate Fractions
Supervisors: M.R. Gray & D. Mitlin
Sponsor: COSI
Project Description: Hydrogenation is a key step in the process of upgrading distillate fractions from bitumen. Current methods of hydrogenation involve high temperatures, high pressures, and active catalysts to encourage hydrogen to bond to unsaturated hydrocarbons.
By generating hydrogen through electrolysis inside of the reactor we can reduce the activation energy for this hydrogenation process and allow it to proceed at much lower temperatures and pressures. Using a sputtering process we can explore new catalyst materials that can be used for hydrogenation in an electrocatalytic system. These new catalysts must use a conducting support and therefore differ
significantly from commercially used hydrogenation catalysts.
Hopefully we can significantly reduce the energy required for this upgrading process step.
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Project Title: High Temperature Thermal Cracking of Heavy Oils at above 600 °C
Supervisor: M.R. Gray
Co-Supervisor: Dr. McCaffrey
Sponsor: Syncrude Canada
Project Description: The objective of this project is to measure the rate of pyrolysis of Alberta’s heavy oils at above 600 °C. Feed is introduced to a flowing reactor as aerosol particles of less than 2 microns to avoid the masking effect of heat and mass transfer in kinetic measurement. Rate of thermal pyrolysis is very fast at higher temperatures, therefore special micro-channelled mixer and cooler have been designed and to be used to meet the requirement for very quick temperature rise time and quench time. These micro-channelled devises are specially customised and fabricated for this project by the Institute for Micro-process Engineering (IMVT , Karlsruhe, Germany)
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Kourosh Vafi
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Arash Karimi
(Ph.D. program)
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Project
Title: Catalytic Gasification of Bitumen Residues and Asphaltenes
Supervisor:
M.R. Gray
Sponsor:
Oil-Alberta Ingenuity Centre for Oil Sands Innovation (COSI)
Project
Description:
Gasification is an attractive option for utilizing low value components of vacuum residue, such as asphaltenes, petroleum coke, or coal. To reduce the capital and operational costs of an industrial scale gasification process, working at a lower temperature will be very effective. In order to be able to perform the steam gasification reactions at temperature as low as 600 to 800 °C with high conversions, use of a catalyst is inevitable. This project focuses on the study of the kinetics and process issues for industrial catalytic gasification of Alberta bitumen residues and asphaltenes.
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Project Title: Reaction and Transport within Coke-Bitumen Agglomerates (Coking and Thermal Cracking)
Supervisor: MR Gray
Sponsor: Syncrude Canada Ltd.
Project Description: In a variety of processes, including fluid coking, proposed short-contact time coking and proposed catalytic processes, liquid residue feed is contacted with hot solids to initiate reaction. The behavior of the liquid droplets and solid feed in a variety of experiments suggests that the initial state of the liquid feed in fluid coker is a warm solid-liquid agglomerate. As this agglomerate circulates in a reactor bed, it will heat up to reactor temperature, it may pass liquid on to other bed particles, and it may break up due to internal or hydrodynamic forces. Work in collaboration with Syncrude Research will use a brand new pilot fluid coker recently installed at U of A to study these processes under controlled conditions. By introducing agglomerates of known size and liquid saturation, their behavior under reaction conditions can be defined. This study would set the desired performance of a coker feed system in terms of liquid-solid agglomerate size and liquid saturation. It would also add to our knowledge of the interplay between heat transfer, mass transfer and momentum transfer in upgrading processes.
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Mohamed Ali
(Ph.D. program)
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Harmeet Kaur
(MSc Program)
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Project
Title: Kinetics and Inhibition of Chloride Release
Supervisor:
M.R. Gray
Sponsor:
Champion Technologies
Project
Description:
Hydrolysis of chloride salts present in bitumen, poses one of the major challenges for the Heavy Oil upgradation sector. Bitumen from the oil sands is contaminated with chloride salts like NaCl, CaCl2.2H2O and MgCl2.6H2O.During the refining operations; these salts undergo hydrolysis to form highly corrosive hydrochloric acid (HCl). At high temperatures associated with these processes, acid produced is released as vapors. This leads to damage of refinery machinery, salt fouling and causes several issues related to downstream processes forcing the oil companies to take frequent shut down for repairs.
This research project aims at studying the mechanism of salt decomposition in upgrading of oil sands bitumen. It also thoroughly investigates the impact of specially developed chemicals called “inhibitors” in retarding the chloride release and kinetics involved behind the interactions involved. This will help in reducing corrosion and related problems in refineries.
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Project Title: Visualization and Kinetics of Coke-Catalyst Interactions in Slurry Hydroconversion
Supervisors: Murray Gray, William McCaffrey, and John Shaw
Sponsor: UOP
Project Description: The primary objective of this research is to understand the chemical and physical interactions between catalyst materials, added solids, and coke phases at reactor conditions of circa 3000 psia and 430-450C during the hydroconversion of vacuum residue materials. The physical and chemical interactions between fluid phases and solids at reactor conditions are the key to developing effective hydroconversion technology based on inexpensive disposable catalyst materials. A secondary objective is the development of kinetic models in support of reactor scale-up.
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Reza Bagheri
(PhD Student)
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Atoosa Zahabi
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Project Title:Particle removal from Bitumen and Vacuum residues
Supervisors: Dr Murray Gray, Dr Tadeusz Dabros (CETC- Devon)
Sponsor: Natural Resources Canada
Project Description: The fine solids with a diameter less than 5 microns exist in vacuum residues from different origins. These solids cause fouling and plugging of downstream operations. Also they are not removable by filtration or centrifuge. Previous studies have shown that asphaltene has the ability to flocculate with solid particles and water droplets and form aggregates. The objective of this project is to remove all the fine solid particles by heteroflocculation with asphaltene.
Silica particles with a diameter around 1 micron represent the solid particles in the model system that was designed for the purpose of this project. The main focus of the project is on studying the extent of the hydrophobicity of the silica particles on heteroflocculation with asphaltene
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Project Title: Mechanisms of Salt Decomposition in Upgrading of Oilsands Bitumen.
Supervisors: MR Gray, A Wu & P Eaton
Sponsor: Syncrude & Champion Technologies
Project Area: Coking
Project Description: Bitumen from the Alberta oilsands contains significant concentrations of organic acid components, known as naphthenic acids. Bitumen can also contain chloride salts, depending on the salinity of the water during extraction or in situ production, and clay minerals. In the presence of steam, the chloride salts, clays and organic acids may combine synergistically to promote the formation of hydrochloric acid, causing significant corrosion in downstream equipment. Despite the importance of these compounds to product quality and upgrader operation, their behaviour under upgrading conditions has been studied very little. We propose a program of research to investigate the behaviour of these organic acids, clays and chloride salts, in order to develop new methods for removing these components or blocking their impact.
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Tuyet Le
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