Deasphalting of Atmospheric Iraqi Residue using Different Solvents

Abstract

Different solvents (light naphtha, n-heptane, and n-hexane) are used to treat Iraqi Atmospheric oil residue by the deasphalting process. Oil residue from Al-Dura refinery with specific gravity 0.9705, API 14.9, and 0.5 wt. % sulfur content was used. Deasphalting oil (DAO) was examined on a laboratory scale by using solvents with different operation conditions (temperature, concentration of solvent, solvent to oil ratio, and duration time). This study investigates the effects of these parameters on asphaltene yield. The results show that an increase in temperature for all solvents increases the extraction of asphaltene yield. The higher reduction in asphaltene content is obtained with hexane solvent at operating conditions of (90 °C, 4/1 solvent to oil ratio), where the asphaltene yield was 93%. The highest recorded value of API value at 150 ml for all solvents at the highest temperature and duration time; this value is 32 when using n-heptane solvent at 15/1.