THE EFFECT OF LOW TEMPERATURE OXIDATION ON THE CHEMICAL AND PHYSICAL PROPERTIES OF MALTENES AND ASPHALTENES DERIVED FROM HEAVY OIL

Abstract

The chemical changes that occur when the maltene and asphaltene fractions (separated from heavy oil) are subjected to low temperature oxidation (LTO) in the presence and absence of water have been investigated by a combination of classical separation techniques and analytical pyrolysis. In general, it is observed that water has a mitigating effect on the destructive nature of LTO. A detailed analysis of the pyrolytic products suggests that the presence of water reduces the ease with which oxygen reacts with sulfides to give sulfones and thereby supresses the formation of coke. An analysis of the data indicates that most of the coke produced results from LTO of the asphaltenes; only a small portion originates in the maltenes.