Experimental investigation of Fe3O4 and Activated Carbon effect on the and heavy oil upgrading process by Electromagnetic heating

Research subject: 

Electromagnetic heating is one of the new methods of upgrading and increasing heavy oil extraction. In this method, electromagnetic waves will increase temperature, break heavy compounds, reduce viscosity, and improve and increase oil recovery.

Research approach:

 In this research, magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (Fe3O4) were synthesized by the co-precipitation method, and the efficiency of these nanoparticles in the process of electromagnetic heating and heavy oil upgrading was investigated. Also, a comparison was made between the effect of these nanoparticles in the process of electromagnetic heating and activated carbon. In this process, oil samples containing 0.1% of Fe3O4 nanoparticles or activated carbon were irradiated with microwave (frequency 2.54 GHz and power 400 W) for 0 to 8 minutes, and the temperature and viscosity variation were investigated.

The results showed that microwave radiation increased the temperature of the samples. The temperature of the sample of crude oil, crude oil with activated carbon, and crude oil with Fe3O4 nanoparticles increased from ambient temperature to 70, 82, and 90°C, respectively, under wave radiation for 8 minutes. Also, the most significant decrease in viscosity was reported in 4 minutes: the viscosity of crude oil sample, crude oil with activated carbon, and crude oil with Fe3O4 nanoparticles under wave irradiation for 4 minutes decreased 295 mP.a to 261, 254, and 223 mP.a, respectively. In other words, the viscosity of the samples under wave irradiation for 4 minutes for crude oil, crude oil with activated carbon, and crude oil with Fe3O4 nanoparticles decreased by 11.5, 13.9 and 24.4%, respectively.