Changes in the hydrocarbon composition of petroleum products under the influence of cavitation

Objectives. While the phenomenon of cavitation is of interest for treatment of hydrocarbon mixtures, in particular crude oil and petroleum products, the literature lacks a systematic approach to conducting such research. This gap stimulates the need for a more in-depth study of the influence of this physical effect on the characteristics and detailed hydrocarbon composition of petroleum feedstock. Thus, the present work set out to explore the influence of the conditions leading to cavitation on the physicochemical properties and hydrocarbon composition of crude oil and petroleum products.

Methods. The objects of the study were two crude oil samples and four straight-run fractions—gasoline, kerosene, diesel, and fuel oil—having different characteristics and hydrocarbon compositions. Cavitation treatment was carried out in a hydrodynamic mode using a Donor-2 apparatus within a range of pressure changes from 20 to 50 MPa. The number of treatment cycles was from 1 to 20. The density was determined by pycnometry using the refractive index, an Abbe refractometer, and the fractional composition or fraction yield, as well as by distillation at atmospheric or reduced pressure for light or dark petroleum products, respectively. The hydrocarbon composition of the gasoline fraction was determined by chromatography and mass spectrometry.

Results. Changes in the densities and fractional compositions of the objects of study following their treatment under various conditions were recorded. Particular attention was paid to the hydrocarbon composition of the gasoline fraction: an increase in the content of normal alkanes was shown to be due to an increase in the number of structures with shorter carbon chains in comparison with the components of raw materials not subjected to cavitation.

Conclusions. The results of the study of the effect of cavitation treatment of crude oil and its individual fractions on their physicochemical characteristics showed that the nature of the changes depends on the treatment conditions and the initial characteristics of the sample. It is suggested that cavitation treatment causes cracking and compaction processes. The possibility of cracking reactions was confirmed by chromatographic determination of the group hydrocarbon composition of the samples.

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