Upgrading of a petroleum residue. Kinetics of Conradson carbon residue conversion

A pretreated petroleum residue was hydroprocessed in a continuous hydroproc essing unit provided with a continuous stirred tank reactor. In this paper, the kinetic study of Conradson carbon residue (CCR) conversion is reported . The range of CCR conversion is 5.6-62.4%. The data of CCR conversion fit first-order kinetics, and the activation energy is 36.3 kcal/mol. No pressu re dependence of the rate constants as defined by the equation K = K *P-H2( m) was observed. The structural analysis of the feed and products indicated that hydroprocessing produces an increase in the saturated fraction and a decrease in the polar fraction. The higher content of saturated fraction in the products obtained at 400 degrees C than in those obtained at 415 degre es C together with the increase in aromatic carbon and decrease in molecula r weight in the products processed at 415 degrees C seem to indicate that c yclization reactions plus aromatization of the formed rings are being produ ced at this temperature. The asphaltene content was linearly related with t he CCR content, and the gas yield and 525+ degrees C fraction conversion we re linearly related with the CCR conversion.