(639c) Evaluation of Reactivities of Various Sulfur Groups in Arabian Heavy Crude During SCW Treatment Using GCxGC-FID/SCD

Arabian heavy crude oil is treated with supercritical water (SCW) in a batch reactor. Detailed analysis of the crude feed and product is made possible by a two dimensional GC (GCxGC) with two types of detectors: FID and SCD, a sulfur specific detector. GCxGC’s separate compounds by volatility (first column) and polarity (secondary column), allowing complex mixtures such as crude oil to be separated into individual compounds. An FID and SCD detector working in series following the GCxGC separation allows the sulfur compounds to be seen separately from the non-sulfur containing hydrocarbons, which are the overwhelming majority of the compounds in crude. SCW desulfurization proceeds via interactions between the sulfur-containing compounds and the non-sulfur containing compounds. The capability of separating individual compounds and seeing sulfur compounds and hydrocarbons separately gives us insight into how SCW treatment upgrades crude oils.