Study on the Feasibility of Plasma (DBD Reactor) Cracking of Different Hydrocarbons ( -Hexadecane, Lubricating Oil, and Heavy Oil)

In this paper, the cracking ability of plasma in the oil refinery, as a novel study, has been discussed. Furthermore, the cracking of n-hexadecane, lubricating oil, and heavy oil by a nonthermal plasma reactor was studied to investigate the liquid and gaseous products, gas chromatography, and simulated distillation (Sim Dis) analyzer were used. The results showed the production of hydrogen, ethane, ethylene, propane, propylene, and other hydrocarbons as a result of feedstock cracking. In these experiments, both lighter and heavier hydrocarbons were produced. In the first part, the n-hexadecane (C₁₆H₃₄) was injected to the reactor. The production rate of hydrogen, ethylene, and propylene were 12.74, 6.91, and 2.32 sccm, respectively. In the second part, lubricating oil, containing heavier hydrocarbons (C₁₃-C₄₂), was chosen as a feed. Plasma was able to crack this feed to C₄-C₁₂ with 39.77% (weight percent). In this part, the weight percent of C₁₇₊ (heavy hydrocarbons) decreased from 93.0% to 40.19%, showing that 56.8% of the heavy fraction of lubricating oil was cracked to lighter hydrocarbons. Finally, heavy oil was injected to the reactor and Sim Dis data showed that 95% of eluted materials were taken at 628°C and 459°C temperatures for raw and plasma treated heavy oils, showing 169°C difference in the distribution of the boiling point of samples. This difference was due to the presence of lighter hydrocarbons with lower boiling point.