الفهرس 
Experimental workOnly 14 pages are availabe for public view
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Abstract
The increasing demand for superior conversion of heavy crude oils to generate high quality petroleum products requires that more
efficient upgrading technologies, processes and catalysts be improved.
Dispersed catalysts to enhance catalytic activity by increasing the
available surface area for reaction can be implemented for in-situ
upgrading where these catalysts could navigate along with the oil being
produced with increased reaction time.
This thesis relates to Iron (III) dodecylbenzene sulfonate, nickel (II)
dodecylbenzene sulfonate, cetyl-triphenylphosphonium tetrachloroferrate
and cetyl-triphenylphosphonium tetrachloronickelate catalysts
based on catalytic and aquathermolysis reactions that are tested for the
viscosity reduction of Issran heavy crude oil. The prepared catalysts
were characterized by critical micelle concentration (CMC), Fourier
transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), Raman spectroscopy,
ultraviolet–visible spectroscopy (UV-vis), thermo- gravimetric analysis
(TGA), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and X-ray diffraction
(XRD).
The viscosity reduction eexperiments were performed in a batch
autoclave reactor of 100 ml capacity, at atmospheric pressure,
temperatures from 150 up to 300 º C, catalyst wt % from 0.15 to 0.25 %,
and reaction times varying from 12 to 72 hours. The heavy crude oil
(obtained from Issran field) and products were characterized using
standard analytical techniques to evaluate conversion of the heavy
crude oil and product quality by assessing, dynamic viscosity, density,
molecular weight, saturate-aromatic-resin-asphaltene percent (SARA
composition) and sulfur content.
Main results indicated that the catalysts enhance the upgrading
of heavy oil by effectively increasing aromatic, saturate and decreasing
asphaltene and sulfur content, thus helping to reduce and improve
viscosity and increase API gravity.
By incorporating water (aquathermolysis), to create conditions
near to in-reservoir operation; the catalytic activity of all catalysts are
better dispersed, which consequently boosts activity at the same
operating conditions.