ASPHALTENE AND RESID PYROLYSIS: EFFECT OF REACTION ENVIRONMENT

Abstract

ABSTRACT Hondo and Maya vacuum resids and their isolated asphaltenes were pyrolyzed at 400, 425, and 450°C (752, 797, 842°F) for batch holding limes ranging from 20 to 180 minutes. Maltene, asphaltene, and coke product fractions were isolated by a solvent extraction sequence; gas yield was determined gravimetrically. Results were summarized in terms of a lumped reaction network. The variation of product yields, kinetics, and apparent activation energies with feedstock and asphaltene environment provided insight into asphaltene structure and thermal reaction pathways.