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SOAKER VISBREAK1NG OF SOME IRAQI RESIDUES

a b a
H. H. Al-Soufi , J. Shanshool & Z. F. Savaya
a
Petroleum Research Centre, Council of Scientific Research, P.O. Box 10039, Jairiyah,
Baghdad, Iraq
b
Chemical Engineering Department, University of Technology, Baghdad, Iraq
Published online: 15 Mar 2007.

To cite this article: H. H. Al-Soufi , J. Shanshool & Z. F. Savaya (1987): SOAKER VISBREAK1NG OF SOME IRAQI RESIDUES, Fuel
Science and Technology International, 5:5, 543-559

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 FUEL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY INT'L., 5 ( 5 ) , 543-559 ( 1 9 8 7 )

SOAKER VISBREAKING OF SOME IRAQI RESIDUES

H. H. Al-Soufi, J. Shanshool*. Z. F. Savaya

Petroleum Research Centre
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Council of Scientific Research

P.O. Box 10039
Jairiyah Baghdad, Iraq
*University of Technology
Chemical Engineering Department
Baghdad, Iraq

ABSTRACT
An attempt has been made to increase the fuel
oil yield of two Iraqi residues using a soaker visbreak-
ing process. This was carried out in a continuous
laboratory scale unit at a range of mild conditions,
namely, 420-48O0C and 43-109 sec. in the coil and
151-379 sec. in the soaker.
Physical properties of the products have been
characterized and reported. The fuel oils obtained'
under the studied conditions remained stable compared
with the original feedstocks. Furthermore, data on
yield and characteristics of the different distillates
from the visbroken products have been obtained. There
was an increase in the distillates up to 350°C (11%)
for type A residue and (15%) for type B residue.

INTRODUCTION
Visbreaking is a fairly mild thermal cracking
process in which the reaction takes place mainly in

Copyrisht 1987 by Marcel Dckksr. Inc.

 544 AL-SOUFI, SHANSHOOL, AND SAVAYA

the liquid phase. It is operated primarily for a

viscosity reduction of heavy residues and production
of fuel oil with relatively low capital investment
of energy cost.
Heavy crude oils contain usually high yield of
bng residues. It is useful to improve the viscosity
and pour point of such residues to be used for produc-
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tion of fuel oil (Shanshool and Kudair, 1985).

Visbreaking inevitably makes some-lighter products.
The fraction 150-350°C is suitable as cutter stock
for the 350°C+ which is usually used for fuel blending
(Hus, 1981).
Cracking severity and its resulting fuel oil
stability are major concerns when selecting .the operat-
ing conditions and the conversion ratio of a visbreaker.
Improper severity can cause sludge formation and phase
separation of the fuel oil residue (Beuther et al.
1959).
The present' work reports the relationship between
the reduction of viscosity and the structural composi-
tion of different feedstocks.

EXPERIMENTAL

Two types of petroleum residues (350°C+) were

obtained by atmospheric and vacuum distillation of
two crude oils.
 IRAQI RESIDUES 545

The visbreaking reaction was performed in a contin-

uous unit of 2LIh feed rate consists of tubular reactor
with soaker (Fig. 1) which is similar to that described
previously (Al-Soufi et al, 1985).
The visbroken products, except gases, were
collected and mixed at ambient conditions. The distil-
lation of visbroken products was carried out to obtain
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fractions of IBP-150°C, 150-350°C and their correspond-

ing residues.
The physical properties of feedstocks and visbroken
products were determined according ro IP and ASTM
standard methods.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Two types of petroleum residues obtained from

light and heavy crude oils were used in the present
work. Type A crude oil is a light-medium crude of
36 API while type B crude oil is a heavy crude of
19 API. The long residues of these crude oils consti-
tute 30% and 65% of the two crudes, respectively.
They both have high viscosity and pour point, thus,
they cannot be used directly as fuel oil; especially
type B long residue.
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AL-SOUFI, SHANSHOOL, AND SAVAYA

Downloaded by [University of York] at 05:02 05 June 2013
 548 AL-SOUFI, SHANSHOOL, AN0 SAVAYA

Tables 1 and 2 show the physic0 chemical properties

of the visbroken residues of type A and B long residues
respectively. It is obvious that viscosity, pour
point, flash point and sulphur content of both residues
decrease with increasing of the reaction temperature.
These changes are related to thermal decomposition
of classes of compounds forming residues.
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Figure 2 represents the relation of viscosity

with temperature for both visbroken residues. It
is clear that the reduction in viscosity of type B
residue (high viscosity) is larger than that of type
A residue which has a lower viscosity. The percentage
reduction in viscosity of type B residue was 52% at
420°C and 94% at 480°C while that of type A was 17%
and 80% at the same temperatures respectively.
Pour point depression with temperature changes
of both residues is shown in Figure 3. The reduction
in pour point of type B residue at 420°C was 12.5%
and at 480°C was 47% while it was 9% and 76% at the
same temperature for type B residue which contains
higher wax that the other residue.
Since type A crude oil has an intermediate paraf-
finic nature, it is not surprising that the flash
point of its visbroken products was noticeably decreased
(80%) compared with the decrease in the flash point
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 AL-SOUFI, SHANSHOOL, AND SAVAYA
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Figure 2. The effect of temperature on the

reduction of viScO~it~.(resid~~~~
time=70 sec). type A 0- type 6 .

of type B visbroken products (40%). This is c

indicated in Figure 4 .
According to fundamentals of thermal cracking
technology, the conversion is not only a function
of temperature, but it is residence time dependent.
Therefore, visbreaking reaction of the two residues
was studied at different residence times.
 IRAQI RESIDUES
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420 440 460 480

Temp. OC

Figure 3. The effect af temperature on t h e

rsdaction of pour poi* (residence
time-70 s6c) .atype A 0 type B.
 AL-SOUFI, SHANSHOOL, AND SAVAYA
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a I
420 440 460 480
Temo. OC

Figure 4 . The e f f e c t of temperature on t h e

r e d u c t i o n of f l a s h p o i n t .(residence
t i m e ~ 7 0sec'). type A O t y p e 0.
 lMQ1 RESIDUES 553

Figures 5 and 6 show the effect of residence

time change on viscosity and pour point for the two
residues. The curves were found to be typical of
all cases investigated and agreed with the well-known
kinetic low for an isothermal first order reaction
(Hus, 1981).
From the data obtained, a visbreaking temperature
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and residence time for both residues were chosen for

further study of the light and medium distillates.
A temperature of 470°C and 55 sec. residence time
(reactor) was chosen for type A feedstock while a
temperature of 480°C and 67 sec. residence time was
chosen for type B residue.
Tables 3 and 4 give the yields and properties
of the fractions and their corresponding residues
obtained from type A and B visbroken products. We
found that the fraction IBP-150°C constitutes less
than 1% for both products while the middle distillate
cut (150-350°C) forms 10% and 14% for the two types
respectively.
The discard of light and middle distillates from
the visbroken products led to an increase in viscosity.
pour point and flash point of these residues as shown
in Figures 4 and 5. The partial removal of these
distillates from type A visbroken products is important
 AL-SOUFI, SHANSHOOL, AND SAVAYA
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Residence time ( s e c )

Figure 5 . The e f f e c t of residence time on t h e

reduction o f viscosity.
tyne P; r e a c t i o n temp. 4 7 0 ' ~ .
0 type B; r e a c t i o n temp. 4 6 0 ' ~ .
 IRAQI RESIDUES
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20 40 60 80 100
Residence time (sec)

Figure 6 . The e f f e c t of residence time on the

reduction o f pour p o i n t .
8 type A, r e a c t l o n temp. 4 7 0 ' ~ .
0 type 6, reaction temp. 4 6 0 ' ~ .
 AL-SOUFI, SHANSHOOL, A N D SAVAYA

Physical p r o p c r t l c . o f v l s b r o k e n f r a c t ~ o n s f r o m type A r e s i d u e

U i a b r s a k l n p tcnp. - 470
0
C. r c s l d e n c e tine - 5 5 sec.
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: S u l p h u r c o n t e n t , ut.X
I
I
I Con. c a r b o n r e s t d u e , u t

0
I PO", point. C
I
0
I U t s c o s l t y at 5 0 C , CS.
I
(I

1 A n ~ l l n ep o t n t . C
I

0
.The y i e l d o f pass. a n d t h e fraction IBP-IS0 C was l a s s than 0 . 0 3 %
 IRAQI RESIDUES

T a b l e -4-

Physic01 properttos of v ~ s b r o k s n f r a c t i o n s obtaxned from type 8

r c s l d u c . U ~ a b r s a k ~ nt ge n p e r a t u r c - 0

480 C . r c s ~ d s n c ct l n s - 67 scc.
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I 0

I F l a ~ hp o i n t . C.O.C.. C
I

I
Icon, carbon residue, u t . X I --
I
I 0 I
!Pour p o l n t , C I --
I I

I V ~ s c o s l t y .Ca. a t : I
0 I
50 C I --
I 0 I
I 103 C I
 558 AL-SOUFI, SHANSHOOL, AND SAVAYA

for improving flash point while presence in type B

visbroked products improves the physical properties
when these products are considered as fuel oils.
Regarding physic0 chemical properties and stability
of the visbroken products, which are investigated
for all runs, it is clear that the products possess
.the requirement specifications of fuel oil at the
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conditions:
1. For type A residue: temperature = 460°C and resi-
dence time = 67 sec.
2. For type .B residue: temperature = 480°C and resi-
dence time = 67 sec.
On the other hand, sulphur content in the products
of both feeds and the flash point in type A visbroken
products need improvement by any suitable method of
desulphurization and by separation of light hydrocarbons
from type A products.
The effect of degree of visbreaking on the stabili-
ty of visbroken products was studied by a function
of n-heptane insolubles (Giavarini, 1981). By comparing
the results obtained from visbroken products with
that of the feedstock of both long residues, no change
in their stability was observed in all visbreaking
conditions studied in the present work, except at
48OoC.
 IRAQI RESIDUES

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The authors wish to give their sincere thanks

to Mrs. Suad Al-Azawi and Mrs. Uroba Al-Ubaidy for
their assistance in the experimental section.

REFERENCES
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Al-Soufi, H.H., Naoom, S.S. and Al-Gelani, W.H. 1985,

Liquid Fuel Technology, 3(2), 187.
Beuther, H., Goldthwait, R.C. and Offutt, W.C. 1959,
The Oil and Gas Journal. Nov. 9. 151.
Giavarini, C. 1981, Fuel, 60, 401.
Hus, M. 1981. The Oil and Gas Journal, Apr. 13, 109.
Shanshool, J. and Kudair, H.K. 1985, J. Petroleum
Research. Iraq, 4(2), 97.

RECEIVED: January 27, 1987

ACCEPTED: February 25. 1987