Catalytic valorization of low-cost light crudes under methane environment

随着越来越多的环境问题和经济困难，全球石化行业正面临着生产极低硫含量燃料的挑战，并正在经历从燃料生产到化学品生产的转变。加拿大拥有丰富的天然气和石油资源，但其价值往往被低估。为了更好地利用当地资源，以环保的方式获得更高的利润，提出了在温和条件下（温度~400℃，压力小于5 MPa）将低成本轻质原油转化为高价值化学品的新方法。因此，与传统的加氢处理工艺相比，本研究方案提供了一种更便宜、更清洁的替代方案，降低了资本和运营成本，显著减少了二氧化碳排放，从而提高了经济盈利能力和环境兼容性，因为反应条件温和，不需要昂贵的H2。这个提议的项目有三个目标：1)。将低成本轻质原油转化为BTX等高附加值化学品，BTX收率超过50%；2)。脱除MDO等含硫燃料中的硫，硫含量的降低应超过75%；3)。探讨甲烷作用下的芳构化脱硫机理。为了实现上述目标，将开发一种专门定制的催化剂系统来触发甲烷的活化，并催化随后与轻质原油的共转化，以生成所需的产物。该项目具有以下效益：为天然气提供了燃烧以外的新利用途径；利用分子工程技术从轻质原油中获得高价值化学品，大大提高其利润；以经济的方式通过除硫生产清洁燃料。2名博士后和2名研究生将在此基础上成功培养。这个拟议项目所取得的成就将通过更有效和更清洁地利用加拿大丰富的轻质原油和天然气，进一步确定加拿大在世界能源市场上的领先地位。

With more environmental concerns and economic difficulties, the global petrochemical industry is facing the challenge to produce very low sulfur content fuel and undergoing the transition from fuel to chemicals production. Canada has abundant natural gas and oil resources yet their value is often underestimated. To better utilize the local resource and get higher profit in an environmentally friendly way, a novel approach is proposed to convert low-cost light crudes to high valuable chemicals under natural gas environment at mild conditions (temperature ~400 oC and pressure less than 5 MPa). Therefore, this research proposal offers a cheaper and cleaner alternative with reduced capital and operating cost as well as notably reduced CO2 emission and thus improves economic profitability and environmental compatibility compared to conventional hydro-treating processes because mild reaction conditions will be applied and no expensive H2 is needed. There are three objectives of this proposed project: 1). To convert low-cost light crudes to high value-added chemicals such as BTX, with the yield of BTX exceeding 50%; 2). To remove sulfur in sour fuels such as MDO and the reduction of sulfur content should exceed 75%; 3). To explore the aromatization and desulfurization mechanism under methane. In order to realize the aforementioned targets, a specially tailored catalyst system will be developed to trigger the activation of methane and catalyze the following co-conversion with light crudes toward the formation desired products. This project will have the following benefits: to supply a new utilization route for natural gas other than combustion; to achieve high valued chemicals from light crudes via molecular engineering and greatly enhance their profits; to produce clean fuel via sulfur removal in an economical manner. Two posdoctoral scholars and two graduate students will be successfully trained from this proposed one. The achievement made from this proposed project will further ascertain the leading position of Canada in the world's energy market through more efficient and cleaner utilization of light crudes and natural gas which are abundant in Canada.