Tungsten-Silica Core-Shell Nanoparticles for Heavy Oil Hydrocracking
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Solution Overview
Problem
The depletion of light crude oil reserves and the inefficiencies of existing cracking processes for extra-heavy oil, such as thermal cracking, which result in low process efficiency and excessive carbon and hydrogen loss, necessitate the development of durable catalysts and processes for upgrading extra-heavy oil into high-quality light oil.
Innovation Solution
A method for synthesizing nano-sized tungsten-silica core-shell particles and tungsten-based nanoparticles using a sol-gel process, followed by further processing to create unsupported dispersible WC nanocatalysts, which are used to hydrocrack extra-heavy oil at controlled temperatures and hydrogen levels, enhancing catalytic activity and efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If thermal cracking is used to decompose extra-heavy oil, then the viscosity is reduced and carbon-carbon bonds are cleaved, but excessive carbon loss occurs resulting in low process efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces tungsten-based nanoparticles as an intermediary catalyst to mediate the cracking process. These nanoparticles facilitate carbon-carbon bond cleavage while preventing excessive carbon loss, acting as a mediator between the reactants and products to improve overall process efficiency and reduce substance loss.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the physical parameter of the catalyst from bulk form to nano-sized particles. This parameter change increases the surface area to volume ratio, enhancing catalytic activity and selectivity, thereby improving process efficiency and reducing carbon loss during extra-heavy oil decomposition.
2Quantity of substance
If thermal cracking is used to increase hydrogen/carbon ratio in liquid by coking, then the H/C ratio increases, but hydrogen loss occurs making it difficult to produce high-quality oil
Solution Approach 1:
Tungsten-based nanoparticles serve as an intermediary catalyst that promotes selective cracking reactions. The catalyst mediates the decomposition process to increase the hydrogen/carbon ratio in the liquid phase while minimizing hydrogen gas loss, thereby producing high-quality oil with improved composition.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs nano-sized tungsten particles with specific physical and chemical parameters that enhance catalytic selectivity. These parameter changes enable the catalyst to promote hydrogen retention during cracking, increasing the liquid phase H/C ratio while reducing hydrogen loss.
3Reliability
If supported catalysts are used for hydrocracking, then catalytic activity is enhanced, but the catalysts are difficult to use under conditions for cracking of extra-heavy oil
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the active catalytic component (tungsten) from the supported catalyst structure, creating unsupported nano-sized tungsten particles. This extraction eliminates the limitations of support materials under extreme cracking conditions while retaining the high catalytic activity of tungsten, improving adaptability to extra-heavy oil processing conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates composite tungsten-silica core-shell nanoparticles that combine the catalytic activity of tungsten with the stability of silica. This composite structure provides both high catalytic activity and durability under the extreme conditions required for extra-heavy oil cracking.
4Ease of manufacture
If bulk catalysts are used for cracking, then the process is simple, but catalytic activity is insufficient resulting in low light oil yield
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the size parameter of the catalyst from bulk to nano-scale, dramatically increasing the surface area to volume ratio. This parameter change enhances catalytic activity and light oil yield while maintaining process simplicity through the straightforward sol-gel synthesis method for producing the nanoparticles.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The method effectively produces high yields of light oil with reduced solid and gas products, demonstrating improved catalytic activity and process efficiency compared to traditional bulk catalysts, thereby addressing the limitations of existing cracking processes.
Implementation Method 1
a method of synthesizing tungsten-silica nanoparticles: including (a) dissolving a tungsten precursor and a surfactant in an organic solvent to obtain a mixture solution; (b) dissolving water, aqueous ammonia, and a silica precursor in the mixture solution to synthesize tungsten oxide-silica core-shell nanoparticles
Implementation Method 2
dissolving water, aqueous ammonia, and a silica precursor in the mixture solution to synthesize tungsten oxide-silica core-shell nanoparticles
Implementation Method 3
a method of synthesizing tungsten-based nanoparticles from the synthesized tungsten-silica nanoparticles
Implementation Method 4
a method of preparing light oil using an unsupported dispersible WC nanocatalyst composed of the tungsten particles
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed is a method of synthesizing nano-sized tungsten-silica core-shell particles by a silica-based sol-gel process. According to the method, tungsten-silica nanoparticles are very easy to synthesize by a simple process at ambient pressure and temperature. In addition, tungsten oxide-silica (WOx@SiO2) nanoparticles including tungsten in a stable oxidation state can be synthesized. In the tungsten oxide-silica nanoparticles, the size of the tungsten protected with the silica shell can be maintained in the nanometer range without further processing. Also disclosed is a method of synthesizing nano-sized tungsten oxide (WOx) and tungsten carbide (WC) particles by further processing of the tungsten-silica core-shell particles.