A process for reducing the naphthenic acidity of
petroleum oils or their fractions is described, said process comprising providing a
hydrocarbon feed 103 / 203 / 303 having between 0.1 and 99 wt % of emulsified / dispersed
water in oil, said feed containing salts and a content of naphthenic acids measured as TAN between 0.1 and 10 mg KOH / g oil; directing the said
petroleum oil feed and emulsified / dispersed water towards an energy emitter device in the
microwave range and submitting said feed 103 / 203 / 303 in
liquid phase, under pressure between 0.7 and 4.5 MPa at temperatures between 50° C. and 350° C. to the
microwave radiation, applied in the range of 1 mm to 30 cm to said feed so that the presence of salts, the applied temperature and the high
dielectric constant of the water droplets make that the heat is absorbed on the spot by the water and heat said water preferentially to the oil, while the naphthenic compounds at the interface between the droplets and the oil catch said heat; effecting the
decomposition of the carboxylic acids responsible for the naphthenic acidity in the
petroleum feed at temperatures around 320° C. and generating CO2; separating with the aid of any known device 106 / 106′ / 112 / 117 / 208 / 208′ / 214 / 219 / 310 / 310′ / 316 / 321 any
gas phase generated, water and oil; and recovering the
hydrocarbon oil
stream 108 / 113 / 119 / 210 / 215 / 221 / 312 / 317 / 323 having a reduced content in naphthenic acids. The process is designed to be applied to the reduction of naphthenic acids in feeds of petroleum oils and their fractions in the
oil production step, in refineries or any industrial installation.