Gel-permeation chromatography as a method for monitoring transformations of heavy petroleum fractions during secondary oil refining

A rapid and easy to use method for monitoring transformations of heavy oil fractions during secondary processes of oil refining is proposed. The method is based on the study of changes in the molecular weight characteristics by gel-permeation chromatography (GPC) using a refractometric detector. Optimal conditions for registration of the chromatograms (temperature, eluent consumption and its composition) were specified. Heptane, toluene, and toluene added with 1% and 5% of methanol were studied as eluents, the polarity indices being arranged in a series 0.2; 2.4; 2.43; 2.54. The effect of the nature of the solvent on the type of the product chromatogram is determined. It is shown that addition of a polar solvent to a nonpolar one increases the polarity index, reduces both the degree of association of petroleum molecules and adsorption on the gel. The most available toluene which meets the GPC requirements is chosen as an eluent. Addition of 1% CH₃OH to the eluent promotes suppression of polyelectrolyte effects and adsorption. The revealed absence of the dependence of the retained volume and the type of chromatograms on the eluent flow rate and temperature indicates that separation is carried out under conditions of exclusion and completely obeys the theory of exclusive liquid chromatography. The transformation of raw materials during a technological process of oil production at the JSC «ANKhK» was studied using the GPC method under above-mentioned chromatographic conditions. We have studied vacuum distillate of the primary oil refining unit ELOU+AVT-6 (VD) and the product of hydrocracking of the vacuum distillate of the 123PM unit (HVD). It is shown that determination of the molecular weight characteristics provides an important information about the behavior of technological processes. The HVD meets the requirements for hydrocracking products. A decrease in the content of aromatic hydrocarbons in comparison with the raw feedstock is proved by the data of thin layer chromatography (TLC).

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