Exxonmobil Research and Engineering Company

Mobil Oil Corporation

Exxonmobil Technology and Engineering Company

Birbal Chawla

Larry Arthur Green

Larry A Green

Stuart S Shih

Hye Kyung Timken

Michael S Sarli

Eric Bart Sirota

William G Borghard

Bryan E Hagee

Bridget E Lang

Dominik N Mazzone

Frank P Di Sanzo

Frank P Disanzo

Systems and methods are provided for determining an asphaltene solubility distribution for a petroleum sample and/or other hydrocarbon sample. A vessel for performing the method can include both packing material(s) and sidewall(s) that correspond to substantially inert materials. The vessel can initially contain a precipitating solvent suitable for causing precipitation of asphaltenes from a hydrocarbon sample. Examples of a precipitating solvents can correspond to n-heptane, toluene, and mixtures of n-heptane and toluene. The petroleum sample is then introduced into the vessel, along with a carrier solvent. The volume of the precipitating solvent can be large relative to the sample, so that the solubility of asphaltenes in the sample becomes dependent on the properties of the precipitating solvent. If asphaltenes are precipitated, the asphaltenes can be washed out of the column using a dissolution solvent. The asphaltenes washed out using the dissolution solvent can then be characterized to determine a total asphaltene content.

Determination of asphaltene solubility distribution

Systems and methods for the separation of classes of paraffins from a hydrocarbon sample can include a first column comprising a first zeolite adsorbent material for the isolation of one or more n-paraffins from the hydrocarbon sample and generation of a first eluate including one or more iso-paraffins and one or more one-ring or multi-ring naphthenes. The system can further include a second column, coupled to the first column, comprising a second zeolite adsorbent material for the isolation of one or more iso-paraffins or one-ring naphthenes from the first eluate and generation of a second eluate including one or more multi-ring naphthenes.

Systems and methods for separating classes of paraffinic compounds

Two quantitative separation approaches to fractionate de-asphalted oils (DAOs) into seven classes of compounds (saturates, 1-4ring-aromatics, sulfides, and polars). In the first step (named as 'SGS') of present invention, the DAO of a petroleum vacuum resid is separated in to four classes of compounds, namely saturates, aromatics, and sulfides. In this first step of separation, about 3 grams of a DAO can be separated. Whereas in the second step (named as 'ARC' separation) of invention, only less than 300 mg of the aromatic fraction obtained in &#x201c;SGS&#x201d; (described above) can be further fractionated at very low temperature (about &#x2212;40 degrees centigrade) into 4 fractions, namely 1-ring, 2-ring, 3-ring, and 4-ring aromatics. The present invention protocol is suitable for a wide range of compositionally different DAOs of petroleum vacuum resids.

Fractionation of de-asphalted oil of vacuum resid using preparative high performance liquid chromatographic separations

The present invention provides quantitation of seven classes of compounds (saturates, 1-4+ ring aromatics, sulfides, and polars) present in petroleum streams boiling from 550-1050&#xb0; F. Operating the present invention in the preparative mode will allow us to load and collect multi-milligram amounts of material. In the present invention, all seven fractions are produced in a single run, whereas the most commonly used preparative liquid chromatographic separations requires two or more large scale separations to generate similar fractions. The present invention uses 100 times less solvent. The present invention protocol provides a quicker and cheaper alternative to most commonly used preparative liquid chromatographic separations and is flexible enough to target many refining and chemicals problems.

Multi-dimensional high performance liquid chromatographic separation technique (STAR7) for quantitative determinations of 7 fractions in heavy petroleum streams boiling above 550 degrees F

Low sulfur gasoline of relatively high octane number is produced from a cracked, sulfur-containing olefinic naphthas by hydrodesulfurization followed by treatment over an acidic catalyst comprising zeolite beta with a metal hydrogenation component, preferably a mild hydrogenation component such as molybdenum. The treatment over the acidic catalyst in the second step restores the octane loss which takes place as a result of the hydrogenative treatment and results in a low sulfur gasoline product with an octane number comparable to that of the feed naphtha. In favorable cases, using feeds of extended end point such as heavy naphthas with 95 percent points above about 380.degree. F. (about 193.degree. C.), improvements in both product octane and yield relative to the feed may be obtained.

Gasoline upgrading process

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Sterling, VA, United States of America

Birbal Chawla