Science and Technology of Unconventional Oils (eBook)

This book, The Science and Technology of Unconventional Oils: Finding Refining Opportunities, intends to report the collective physical and chemical knowledge of unconventional oils (heavy, extra-heavy, sour/acid, and shale oil) and the issues associated with their refining for the production of transportation fuels. It will focus on the discussion of the scientific results and technology activities of the refining of unconventional oils. The presence of reactive and refractory compounds and components that negatively impact refining processing (the 'bad actors') are discussed and analyzed. The commercially available technologies, with their reported improvements and emerging ideas, concepts, and technologies, are described. This comprehensive overview constitutes the basis for establishing technology gaps, and in return sets the science and technology needs to be addressed in the future. In summary, this book incorporates the relevant knowledge of processing unconventional crude oils and of the 'Bottom-of-the-Barrel' fraction, describing the related commercially available and emerging technologies to contribute to the identification of existing gaps.

• Relates physicochemical properties and phenomenological behavior of unconventional oils to refining challenges
• Describes commercially available technologies and the problems they solve
• Lists recent improvements in various processes and identifies technology gaps
• Explains emerging new refining technologies and the problems they solve
• Discusses future needs and challenges, and suggests further research and development needs

Dr. Magdalena Ramirez-Corredores is a Distinguished Scientific Researcher at Idaho National Laboratory in the Chemistry and Radiation Measurements Department, working on Biomass Science. She gained her previous industrial research experience at KiOR LLC, BP International Ltd and PDVSA. She is a fellow researcher with a successful record of producing innovative solutions and breakthrough technologies in hydrocarbon and alternative feeds processing and in catalysis: biomass conversion to fuels and chemicals, unconventional oils processing, fossil and bio-oil hydrotreatment, light ends, and pretreatment, separation and purification processes. She has 60 inventions described in 48 US patents (12 cases still pending in the United States) and more than 150 worldwide awarded patents. She has authored 115 publications (1 book, 7 monographs, 62 articles and 45 conference papers). Her total number of citations (excluding all authors' self-citations) is 1,105, for an h-index of 18. She earned her doctorate in chemistry at England's University of Bath: 'The formation of solid solutions of CaO-SrO and investigation on their surface properties' in 1980. She received her BSc in Chemistry at Universidad Central de Venezuela, Caracas: 'Isotopic effect in the catalytic cracking of alkylbenzenes' in 1974. She is also a recipient of the highest industrial research awards form her country of origin, Venezuela, the Exceptional Contributions Award, PDVSA 2001 and National Award on Technological Research, CONICIT 1991.

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This book, The Science and Technology of Unconventional Oils: Finding Refining Opportunities, intends to report the collective physical and chemical knowledge of unconventional oils (heavy, extra-heavy, sour/acid, and shale oil) and the issues associated with their refining for the production of transportation fuels. It will focus on the discussion of the scientific results and technology activities of the refining of unconventional oils. The presence of reactive and refractory compounds and components that negatively impact refining processing (the "e;bad actors"e;) are discussed and analyzed. The commercially available technologies, with their reported improvements and emerging ideas, concepts, and technologies, are described. This comprehensive overview constitutes the basis for establishing technology gaps, and in return sets the science and technology needs to be addressed in the future. In summary, this book incorporates the relevant knowledge of processing unconventional crude oils and of the "e;Bottom-of-the-Barrel"e; fraction, describing the related commercially available and emerging technologies to contribute to the identification of existing gaps. Relates physicochemical properties and phenomenological behavior of unconventional oils to refining challenges Describes commercially available technologies and the problems they solve Lists recent improvements in various processes and identifies technology gaps Explains emerging new refining technologies and the problems they solve Discusses future needs and challenges, and suggests further research and development needs