Adsorption and subsequent hydroprocessing of unstable polar heavy hydrocarbons over iron-silicate nanoparticles

油砂目前占加拿大石油产量的46%，预计到2020年将上升到80%。油砂生产所面临的环境挑战源于生产和升级过程所需的大量能源和水，以及产生的大量重质烃废物、废水和气体排放。纳米技术提供了很好的机会，通过开发绿色工艺来解决这些问题，这些工艺可以减少能源和水的使用，并可以消除副产品和废物的产生。在这种情况下，纳米颗粒代表了油砂提取和升级中许多挑战的最有前途的解决方案之一，因为它们充当准均相吸附剂/催化剂。这项研究计划旨在发展“纳米山梨酸酯”的概念。“这些是天然存在的基于铁硅酸盐材料的纳米颗粒，可以从重油中吸附和去除废弃的重极性烃，随后将其催化升级为轻质可利用的馏分，从而作为热裂解（焦化）的替代品。提出了水热法制备纳米山梨醇酯的方法。研究确定了合适的合成条件范围，并考察了组成和粒径对吸附脱除重油中极性烃的影响。吸附的极性重质烃的催化加氢处理将在中试装置中进行，以将废重质极性烃转化为轻质可利用馏分。这项研究将为石油工业提供机会，将目前的商业做法转变为具有改进的经济和环境绩效的工艺。

The oil sands currently provide 46% of Canada's oil production; this is expected to rise to 80% by 2020. The environmental challenges that face oil sands production stem from the large amounts of energy and water required for production and upgrading processes, and the large amounts of heavy hydrocarbon waste, wastewater, and gaseous emissions that are generated. Nanotechnology offers great opportunities to address these issues through the development of greener processes that can de-intensify energy and water use and that can eliminate byproduct and waste generation. In this context, nanoparticles represent one of the most promising solutions to a number of challenges in oil sands extraction and upgrading, as they act as quasi-homogeneous adsorbents/catalysts. This research program seeks to develop the concept of "nanosorbcats." These are naturally occurring iron-silicate materials-based nanoparticles that can adsorb and remove waste heavy polar hydrocarbons from heavy oil, and subsequently catalytically upgrade them into light utilizable distillates, thus acting as alternatives to thermal cracking (coking). The preparation of nanosorbcats by hydrothermal method is proposed. The proper range of synthesis conditions will be studied and defined, and the effects of composition and particle size on adsorptive removal of polar hydrocarbons from heavy oil will be tested. Catalytic hydroprocessing of the adsorbed polar heavy hydrocarbons will be carried out in a pilot plant setup to convert the waste heavy polar hydrocarbons into light utilizable distillates. This research shall provide opportunities for the oil industry to transform current commercial practices into processes with improved economic and environmental performance.