| en |
Investigation of Heavy Organics Precipitation from Nigerian Crude Oil Residue Using Binary Mixture of n-Alkane Solvents
ANUCHI, SO; CHUKWU, UJ & OFODILE, SE
Abstract
The effects of mixing two n-alkane solvents on the precipitation of heavy organics in crude oil were
carried out. The crude oil sample sourced from a major operative in Nigeria was distilled at 240°C and used for the
precipitation experiment. The binary mixture of n-alkane solvents (C6: C10, C6: C16, C10: C14, C10: C16, C14: C16) was
carried out in the solvent ratio of 0:1, 1:2, 1:1, 2:1, and 1:0 respectively. From the results, C6 mixture shows an
abrupt decrease in heavy organics precipitated from 1:0 volume ratio of C6: C10 to 2:1 volume ratio of C6: C10 and a
further steady decrease were observed. The percentage volume increment of C6 in the mixture of C6: C16, also shows
steady and an abrupt decrease in heavy organics precipitated, which indicates phase transitions occurring at 1:1 and 2:1
volume ratio points. The additions of C10 to C14 and C10 to C16 results to decrease in the weight percentage of heavy
organics precipitated. While a slight decrease in weight percentage of heavy organics occurs during the addition of C14
to C16. Precipitation experiment carried out using binary mixture shows a three-stage phase transition: solid-liquid,
liquid-solid and solid-liquid in C6: C16 at different volume ratios of the mixtures.
Keywords
Binary mixture; heavy organics; crude oil residue; n-alkane solvents; precipitates
|
