Oil-Dispersed -Fe2O3 Nanoparticles as a Catalyst for Improving Heavy Oil Oxidation

Oil-Dispersed -Fe2O3 Nanoparticles as a Catalyst for Improving Heavy Oil Oxidation

Crude oil

Hematite

In situ combustion

Heavy oil production

Porous materials

Magnetite

Scanning electron microscopy

Infrared spectroscopy

Thermogravimetric analysis

Thermooxidation

Nanocatalysts

Activation energy

Monounsaturated fatty acids

Field emission microscopes

Oil-dispersed -Fe2O3 nanocatalysts were prepared by coating -Fe2O3 nanoparticles with oleic acid (OA). Mossbauer spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, and field emission scanning electron microscopy were used to characterize -Fe2O3 and -Fe2O3@OA. Their impact on the oxidation process of heavy oil was evaluated using a porous medium thermo-effect cell and thermogravimetry-infrared spectroscopy coupled with isoconversional kinetic analysis. Compared with -Fe2O3, -Fe2O3@OA more efficiently catalyzed the combustion of heavy oil due to its good dispersion in heavy oil. -Fe2O3 was found to be transformed into smaller size magnetite (Fe3O4), maghemite (-Fe2O3), and -Fe2O3 during heavy oil combustion. Fe2O3@OA reduced the activation energy from a maximum of 537 to 246 kJ/mol, which considerably facilitates fuel formation and makes an easier transition from fuel formation to its combustion in the high-temperature oxidation (HTO) stage, thus shifting HTO into lower temperatures. These enhanced performances in the heavy oil combustion by -Fe2O3@OA could be favorable for improving the efficiency of the in situ combustion (ISC) technique in oilfields. 2021 American Chemical Society.

10498-10511

35

Energy and Fuels

2021

Mehrabi-Kalajahi, Seyedsaeed

Varfolomeev, Mikhail A.

Yuan, Chengdong

Rodionov, Nikolay O.

Zinnatullin, Almaz L.

Vagizov, Farit G.

Osin, Yuri N.

journalArticle

8870624

10.1021/acs.energyfuels.1c00657