CHARACTERIZING A BRAZILIAN PETROLEUM RESIDUE BY MOLECULAR DISTILLATION PROCESSES

Advancing the chemical engineering fundamentals

Distillation, Absorption & Extraction (T2-10P)

Mrs Alessandra Winter
State University of Campinas
Faculty of Chemical Engineering
Separation Process Development Laboratory, Faculty of Chemical Engineering, State University of Campinas (UNICAMP), CP 6066, CEP 13081-970, Campinas, SP, Brazil.
Brazil

Dr Maria Wolf-Maciel
University of Campinas (UNICAMP)
Chemical Engineering
Separation Process Development Laboratory (LDPS)
CP 6066
ZIP CODE 13081-970
CAMPINAS-SP
BRAZIL
Brazil

Prof Rubens Maciel Filho
State University of Campinas (UNICAMP)
Department of Chemical Processes, School of Chemical Engineering
Zeferino Vaz, University City
Barrão Geraldo - Campinas - São Paulo - Brazil

Laboratory of Optimization, Design and Advanced Control.
Department of Chemical Processes. School of Chemical Engineering.
State University of Campinas (UNICAMP)


PO BOX 6066
ZIP 13081-970
Brazil

Mr César Benedito Batistella
State University of Campinas (UNICAMP)
Faculty of Chemical Engineering

Brazil

Mr Lilian Carmen Medina
CENPES/PETROBRAS, Brazil
CENPES/PETROBRAS, Brazil

Brazil

Keywords: Molecular Distillation, Brazilian Petroleum, Characterization

The molecular distillation process initially was developed to allow the purification of thermal sensible products. Today this process is very used in the purification of materials of high aggregate value, and it presents as a potential technique for the fractioning of products of high molecular weight. The fuels are the hderivatives of oil of bigger demand in the whole world, and, although the great technology existing to process this oil, one better characterization of the crude oil and the heavy fractions is of great value for the petroliferous industry. The molecular distillation is a particular case of evaporation, which extremely occurs in low pressures and consequently the low temperatures and in these conditions the thermal decomposition of the material is practically null. This process involves, basically, two stages: evaporation and condensation, in which vapor molecules escape from the evaporator in direction to the condenser, where condensation occurs. It is necessary that the vapor molecules generated find a free path between the evaporator and the condenser, the pressure be low and the condenser be separated from the evaporator by a smaller distance than the mean free path of the evaporating molecules. By not existing, practically, return of evaporated molecules for the liquid phase (it does not have equilibrium liquid-vapor), the molecular distillation is considered a process of no equilibrium. The falling film molecular distillator are constituted, for an evaporator and a condenser, both cylindrical and concentrically, in whose physical space exists vacuum, normally in the order of 10-3mmHg. This work intends to investigate the potential of the molecular distillation in the separation and characterization of heavy Brazilian petroleum. This method presents short running times and soft temperatures conditions, being ideal for the work with oil, since it prevents the thermal cracking. A more detailed characterization of the crude oil allows establishing strategies and conditions of processing, aiming at a maximum exploitation of the heavy fractions of the oil.

See the full pdf manuscript of the abstract.

Presented Tuesday 18, 13:30 to 15:00, in session Distillation, Absorption & Extraction (T2-10P).