Home – Home – Jornals – Chemistry for Sustainable Development 2021 number 2

In connection with the existing problem of permafrost soil thawing in the Arctic zone of Russia, it seems relevant to use space images to decipher thermal objects at the fields of the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous District to identify soil deformation zones. Spatial and statistical analysis of satellite temperature data, hydrocarbon output and the number of operating flare units was carried out by the example of 16 fields in the Purovsky administrative region of the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous District. A correlation has been established between hydrocarbon output and the calculated area of thermal zones. The spatial analysis of the location of thermal installations reflects their possible adverse impact on the environment in the form of thawing and deformation of permafrost landscapes.

The effect of the nature of silicon source on the physicochemical properties of synthesized Zn-aluminosilicates is studied, along with their catalytic activity in the course of propane conversion into aromatic hydrocarbons. It is shown that the source of silicon plays an important role in the hydrothermal synthesis of Zn-aluminosilicate since it affects the crystallization rate, physicochemical and catalytic properties of the final product. The tests of the catalysts indicate that they are highly active in propane aromatization. The selectivity of the formation of aromatic hydrocarbons over the prepared samples reaches more than 40% with almost complete conversion of the feedstock. The highest aromatization activity is exhibited by the Zn-aluminosilicate synthesized using carbon white. The yield of aromatic hydrocarbons over this catalyst reaches 42.9 % at a temperature of 600 °C, while the conversion is 99 %. The properties of the synthesized zinc aluminosilicates are investigated by means of X-ray phase analysis, temperature-programmed desorption of ammonia, and low-temperature adsorption of nitrogen. As a result, distinguishing features of the synthesized zinc aluminosilicates affecting their catalytic properties in propane conversion into aromatic hydrocarbons were established.

A composite material is manufactured on the basis of multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) activated with nickel and cobalt. Its physicochemical and catalytic properties are investigated in the oxidation of sulphur-containing compounds (SC) of fuel oil with hydrogen peroxide. It is demonstrated by means of X-ray phase analysis and transmission electron microscopy that the material is composed of MWCNT phase and the phases of introduced metals (Ni and Со), with nanostructure represented by thin sheets 20 × 30 nm in size. The optimal conditions for the oxidation of sulphur-containing compounds of fuel oil were revealed: temperature, 50-60 °C; process duration, 90 min; catalyst content, 1.0-1.3 mass %; the ratio of sulphur in the raw material to the oxidizer was equal to 1 : 4. It was established that the most efficient system for the extraction of oxidized sulphur-containing compounds from fuel oil is dimethylformamide - water (10 vol. %) system. Under these conditions, it is possible to achieve a degree of sulphur removal of more than 75 %.

Laboratory set-up was developed on the basis of Reokinetika stand for the static and dynamic determination of the elastic modulus. Static and dynamic tests of polyvinyl alcohol cryogels were carried out, and the dependences of the output signals of force sensors on sample deformation were obtained. Dynamic measurements were made using a device with piezoceramic force sensor and an electromechanical source of mechanical oscillations. Laboratory balance was used as a force sensor in static measurements. Sample deformation was set with a micrometer. The absolute values of the static elastic modulus are obtained. A linear correlation of the results of static and dynamic measurements is demonstrated. The ratio of the slopes of the considered dependences is equal to the ratio of the absolute values of static and dynamic elasticity modules of the samples.

Results of the laboratory tests of acid chemical oil-substituting GBK composition developed at the Institute of Petroleum Chemistry SB RAS are presented. The composition is based on a surfactant, an adduct of inorganic salt, polyatomic alcohol, and carbamide. The technology is aimed at increasing the oil recovery due to the action on reservoir rock, with the restoration of well injectivity for the wells at the late stage of development, and oil-washing capacity of surfactant components, within a broad temperature range (23-150 °C). A strong acid is formed directly in the reservoir under the effect of formation conditions. The acid is able to interact with the reservoir rock, with an increase in the injectivity of the bottomhole zone for water and hot steam. It is established that the action of the acid composition leads to the equalization of filtration flows and a significant increase in the oil displacement coefficient.

The data on the special aspects of the composition of oils located in four areas of the Nenets Autonomous District on the coast of the Barents Sea are presented. Normal and isoprenoid alkanes, naphthalenes, phenanthrenes, fluorenes, biphenyls, sesquiterpanes, steranes, hopanes, dibenzothiophenes, dibenzofurans, retene, and cadalene are identified among petroleum hydrocarbons by means of gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The concentrations of metalloporphyrins and perylene were determined spectrophotometrically. It is demonstrated that cyclohexane content is much higher than the fraction of acyclic compounds only in oil from the Toboyskoye oil field. The composition of this oil is also characterized by the maximal content of bicyclic terpanes (nordrimans, drimans, and homodrimans). For oils from the Perevoznoye and Toraveyskoye oil fields, the co-presence of vanadyl- and nickel-porphyrins suggests marine conditions of the accumulation of initial organic matter in the absence of bottom water contamination with hydrogen sulphide. Dibenzofurans were identified only in oil from the Toraveyskoye oil field, while the presence of dibenzothiophenes is observed in all the studied oil samples.

This article presents the analysis of the results of 57 cyclic steam stimulation (CSS) treatments of the wells in the Permian-Carboniferous reservoir of high-viscosity oil of the Usinsk oil field, Komi Republic, Russia. All wells were subjected to the first cycle of steam stimulation. Among them, 46 wells were treated without additional reagents, and 11 wells were treated using the GALKA^® thermotropic composition developed at the Institute of Petroleum Chemistry SB RAS. The use of gel-forming compositions was validated, starting from the first cycle of CSS, in the case of the high initial water cut. An assumption was made concerning the optimal amount of steam during CSS for a specific type of wells, as well as an increase in this parameter when using a gel-forming composition.

Changes in the structural parameters of resin and asphaltene molecules were studied depending on the composition of the dispersion medium in the process of low-temperature dewaxing of oil. Liquefied hydrocarbon gases (propane, propane/butane, and propane/pentane) were used as a dewaxing agent. Sediments formed during dewaxing are composed of hard paraffins, resins and asphaltenes. Resins and asphaltenes were investigated by means of structural group analysis (SGA) based on PMR spectroscopy data, elemental composition and molecular weight. It is shown that variations of the oil dispersion medium due to dilution with liquefied gases lead to changes in the structural parameters (molecular weight, the number of aromatic and naphthenic rings, alkyl substituents, and the number of structural blocks in the molecule) of the average molecules of resins and asphaltenes.

The effect of steam isolation with GALKA^® gel-forming composition in steam-assisted gravity drainage during the development of a horizontal well at the Lyael area of the Yaregskoye field on oil production and its composition was investigated. The effect of treatment was 2 - 4 t of additionally produced oil per day, with a decrease in water cut by 8 - 10 %. The effect was accompanied by an increase in oil viscosity and the proportion of heavy polar components in it, followed by a decrease to the initial values. Ammonium and hydrocarbonate ions were detected to appear in the produced water after treatment with the thermotropic composition GALKA^®. An increase in the content of carbonate and chloride ions, an increase in mineralization by a factor of 2, and pH of the produced water from 7.1 to 9.7 were also detected.

The possibilities of using long-term satellite data to monitor the environmental situation in the area of oil and gas enterprises are considered. The studies were carried out for the territory of Tomskneftepererabotka oil refinery as an example. The data of the MODIS spectroradiometer (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer) for the years 2015-2019 were used as the initial information. To assess the state of the vegetation cover in the study area, the values of enhanced vegetation index (EVI) were included in the analysis. The minimum and maximum values of EVI index for the study area were determined, and a trend of an increase in the index values since 2018 was revealed, which is evidence of vegetation cover restoration.

The effect of K-210 additive, developed on the basis of the ordered amphiphilic nitrogen-containing polymer, on the structural-rheological characteristics of water-oil emulsions is investigated. The presence of water in oil-containing dispersed systems (ODS) as 10 % oil emulsions is characterized by a primary increase in the degree of additive inhibition for all emulsions under study. An increase in the degree of inhibition may be a consequence of the fact that the additive contains an amphiphilic polymer, which is soluble both in the organic phase and in water. The studies showed that the group composition of the precipitates depends on the degree of additive inhibition. Changes in the group composition may be explained by the structural-phase transitions of the fractions of resinous-asphaltenic components. Differences in the composition of resins and asphaltenes of ODS were studied by means of IR spectroscopy. It was established that an increase in the fraction of water in the resins of asphaltene-resin-paraffin deposits (ARPD) in emulsions causes an increase in the condensed aromatic oxygen- and sulphur-containing fragments. Investigation of the surface tension of resin and asphaltene fractions revealed that the maximal surface activity is characteristic of the resinous-asphaltenic components of ARPD oil emulsions with a minimal degree of additive inhibition.

Propylene oxidation by oxygen in the presence of water in the barrier discharge (BD) reactor is investigated. Data obtained previously in the investigation of propylene oxidation in the presence of n -octane in the BD reactor are presented. Product composition remains the same if n -octane is replaced by water. The major products of propylene oxidation by oxygen in the presence of water are propylene oxide, propanal, and other hydroxyl- and carbonyl-containing compounds. The content of propylene oxide in the product mixture decreases from 45 to ~30 mass %. Propylene conversion values both in the presence of octane and in the presence of water are comparable: 12.9 and 15.4 %, respectively. Ignition of the discharge was determined to occur earlier in the presence of water than in the presence of n -octane. The volt-coulomb characteristics of BD during propylene oxidation in the presence of water and in the presence of octane differ from each other only slightly. The capacity of discharge cell (plasmachemical reactor) in the case of propylene oxidation in the presence of water is larger than in the presence of octane, while the transitive charge per one high-voltage pulse is smaller in the case of water. The active discharge power and propylene conversion are similar in both cases. Electron energy losses in the BD reactor were calculated for propylene-oxygen mixtures with water and without it. The addition of water was determined to have almost no effect on energy distribution in the mixture of oxygen with propylene, and the major losses of electron energy are related to the excitation of electronic states in oxygen and propylene molecules. The major direction of propylene oxidation in the BD reactor in the presence of water may be predicted relying on the analysis of calculation results.

The physicochemical and catalytic properties of Mo/ZSM-5 catalysts for methane dehydroaromatization prepared using different (NН₄- and H-) zeolite forms and nanosized Mo powder are studied. It is shown that the properties of the samples under study depend on the initial form of the zeolite used for their preparation. According to the data of electron microscopy and EDS analysis, the morphology and elemental composition of particles in the Mo/H-ZSM-5 and Mo/NH₄-ZSM-5 samples are practically similar, and molybdenum is stabilized in the zeolite matrix in the form of the aggregates of atoms. The distribution profiles of silicon and molybdenum in the catalysts indicate that a more uniform distribution of molybdenum in the zeolite is observed for the Mo/NH₄-ZSM-5 sample. Changes in molybdenum localization after methane dehydroaromatization were revealed. Molybdenum migration to the zeolite surface was observed, with the formation of MoC _x particles up to 100 nm in size, coated with a carbon layer about 3 nm thick. It was established by means of the thermal desorption of ammonia that the concentration of strong acid sites in the catalyst prepared using the hydrogen form of the zeolite was lower than that for the catalyst prepared on the basis of the ammonium form of the zeolite. This difference in the acidic characteristics of the obtained Mo/ZSM-5 catalysts depends on the conditions of their preparation. The number of thermal treatments increased in the course of catalyst preparation using the hydrogen form of the zeolite, which resulted in the partial destruction of the zeolite crystal lattice with the formation of the Al₂(MoO₄)₃ phase. Studies of the catalytic properties of the samples showed that the Mo/ZSM-5 catalyst prepared on the basis of ammonium zeolite exhibited the highest activity in the course of the nonoxidative conversion of methane to aromatic hydrocarbons.

Regularities of the geographical distribution of world resources of high-resin oil as an essential source of hydrocarbon raw material in the future are considered. It is demonstrated, relying on the analysis of information from the database on physicochemical characteristics of the world’s oils, that one third of all oil and gas-bearing basins contain reserves of highly resinous oils. The features of the distribution of these oils over countries are studied. It is demonstrated that about 90 % of the world resources are located in Canada and in Russia. About 94 % of the resources of highly resinous oil are located in three oil and gas bearing basins - Timan-Pechora, West Siberian, and Volga-Ural. Statistical analysis of the physicochemical properties of highly resinous oil was carried out. It was established that oil with high resin content is characterized by high density and viscosity, high content of sulphur, nitrogen and oxygen, as well as vanadium and nickel.

Original structural changes of the surface of a coal sample under the action of pulsed mode laser radiation were studied. It was found that original quasiperiodic columnar structures were formed on the sample surface as a result of the laser action of 10⁴ s duration with the frequency of 6 Hz and the single pulse energy density of 1.95 J/cm². The diameter of single fragments reached 100 mm with the distance between them attaining 50 mm. On the top of the fragments, there were spherical shapes composed of silicon compounds with a size reaching 10 mm. A scheme of the formation of columnar structure was proposed.

The efficiency of the dissolution of bituminous coal at moderate temperature to produce quinoline-soluble substances was studied using commercially available coal tar (CT), its anthracene fraction (AFCT), heavy coal semicoking tar (HCST), heavy gas oil from catalytic cracking of petroleum (HGOCC), their binary blends, as well as tetralin (for comparison) as solvents. The chemical and molecular compositions of the coal, solvents, and the extracts obtained were characterized in detail by chemical and group analyses, FTIR spectroscopy, liquid chromatography, analysis by means of gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The highly aromatic CT, AFCT, low aromatic HGOCC solvents, binary blends of these solvents and hydrogen donor tetralin showed high performance for coal dissolution at 380 °C in the quinoline-soluble substances, the yields of gases being no more than 0.6 %. The extracts obtained with CT and AFCT solvents represented highly aromatic pitch-like matter with rarely substituted aromatic rings. The extract obtained with the HGOCC solvent was characterized by lower aromaticity, the aromatic nuclei being highly substituted with fairly large alkyl fragments. The blended solvents yielded more extracts whose structural parameters were intermediate between those obtained with each solvent separately. Heavy semi-coking HCST tar showed no dissolving ability because of the high content of phenolic hydroxyls. The concentration of benzo(a)pyrene (BaP) in the toluene-soluble fractions of the extracts obtained was much lower than that in the solvents used, and decreased as the coal dissolution time increased, thus indicating BaP conversion.

Pharmacokinetics of the aerosol and oral forms of the delivery of the antituberculous drug pyrazinamide was investigated. The pharmacokinetic parameters for both forms of the medicinal preparation were demonstrated to be comparable. The advantages of aerosol delivery of pyrazinamide for therapeutic application are considered.