L’objectif de cette thèse est de mieux comprendre les réactions de craquage thermique des naphtènes (hydrocarbures saturés cycliques) se déroulant dans les réservoirs pétroliers. Les naphtènes, représentant une famille importante de composés dans les huiles « Haute Pression/Haute Température » des gisements profonds, ont fait l’objet de très peu d’études dans ces conditions. La pyrolyse du n-butylcyclohexane a été étudiée à haute pression (100 bar) dans des réacteurs fermés en tubes en or, entre 300°C et 425°C. Le n butylcyclohexane produit majoritairement des n-alcanes (C1 à C4), d’autres naphtènes et des composés aromatiques. Un modèle cinétique complexe a été développé (833 réactions essentiellement radicalaires) ; il rend bien compte de nos résultats expérimentaux jusque 60% de conversion. L’extrapolation du modèle dans les conditions géologiques (température initiale de 160°C, gradient thermique de 2°C/MA et temps de réaction en millions d’années), montre que ce composé commence à se décomposer vers 180°C et que son temps de demi-vie correspond à 200-210°C. D’autres systèmes réactionnels impliquant des naphtènes, ont été également étudiés à 400°C et 100 bar. L’étude de la pyrolyse de la n-butyldécaline montre que cette molécule bicylique possède une réactivité similaire à celle du n-butylcyclohexane. L’étude à 400°C du mélange binaire n-octane/n-butylcyclohexane ne met pas en évidence d’effet cinétique significatif du n-butylcyclohexane sur la décomposition thermique du n-octane, mais l’extrapolation du modèle aux conditions géologiques montre que les naphtènes inhibent la décomposition des n-alcanes à basse température (200°C) et à haute pression (100 bar) / This thesis aims at better understanding the thermal cracking reactions of naphthenes (saturated cyclic hydrocarbons), occurring in petroleum reservoirs. Naphthenes represent a significant fraction of “High Pressure/High Temperature” oils in deeply buried reservoirs; however, studies in these conditions are very limited in literature. The pyrolysis of n-butylcyclohexane is studied in a gold sealed tube reactor between 300 and 425°C, at 100 bar. n-Butylcylohexane mainly leads to n-alkanes (C1-C4), other naphthenes and aromatic compounds. A detailed model is developed (833 reactions, mainly free-radical reactions); a good agreement with our experimental results is reached up to a conversion of 60%. According to simulation results obtained by extrapolating to lower temperature, this compound starts to undergo thermal cracking at 180°C and its time of half-life corresponds to a temperature around 200-210°C, while considering the following burial scenario of an oil reservoir: initial temperature of 160°C and a heating rate of 2°C/MY (Million Years). Other chemical systems including naphthenes, are also studied at 400°C and 100 bar. The study of 1-n-butyldecaline shows, that this bicyclic compound and n-butylcyclohexane have a similar reactivity at 400°C. The study of the binary mixture n-butylcyclohexane/n-octane at 400°C does not provide any significant evidence of a kinetic effect of n-butylcyclohexane on the thermal decomposition of n-octane, but the extrapolation of our model at geological conditions shows that naphthenes are inhibitors of the decomposition of n-alkanes at low temperature (200°C) and at high pressure (100 bar)

<p>The global oil refining industry with its present shift inproduct distribution towards fuels such as gasoline and dieselwill most likely hold the fort for many years to come. However,times will change and survival will very much depend onprocessing flexibility and being at the frontiers of refiningtechnology, a technology where catalysts play leading roles.Today oil refiners are faced with the challenge to producefuels that meet increasingly tight environmentalspecifications, in particular with respect to maximum sulphurcontent. At the same time, the quality of crude oil is becomingworse with higher amounts of polyaromatics, heteroatoms(sulphur and nitrogen) and heavy metals. In order to staycompetitive, it is desirable to upgrade dense streams withinthe refinery to value-added products. For example, upgradingthe fluid catalytic cracking (FCC) by-product light cycle oil(LCO) into a high quality diesel blending component is a veryattractive route and might involve a two-step catalyticprocess. In the first step the LCO is hydrotreated andheteroatoms are removed and polyaromatics are saturated, in thesecond step naphthenic rings are selectively opened to improvethe cetane number of the final product.</p><p>The present research is devoted to the second catalytic stepof LCO upgrading and was carried out within the framework of aEuropean Union project entitled RESCATS.</p><p>From the patent literature it is evident that iridium-basedcatalysts seem to be good candidates for ring-opening purposes.A literature survey covering ring opening of naphthenicmolecules shows the need for extending investigations toheavier model substances, more representative of the dieselfraction than model compounds such as alkylated mono C5 and C6-naphthenic rings frequently employed in academic studies.</p><p>Ring-opening catalysts, mainly Pt-Ir based, were synthesisedat KTH by two different methods: the microemulsion and theincipient wetness methods. Characterization of the catalystswas performed using a number of techniques including TPR,TEM-EDX, AFM and XPS etc. Catalytic screening at atmosphericpressure using pure indan as model substance was utilized todetect ring-opening activity and the magnitude of selectivityto desired cetane-boosting products. The development of suchring-opening catalysts is the topic of Paper I.</p><p>When designing a catalytic system aimed at refiningpetroleum, it is crucial to monitor the evolution of thesulphur distribution throughout the different stages of theprocess so that catalyst properties and reaction parameters canbe optimised. The final section of this thesis and Paper II arethus devoted to high-resolution sulphur distribution analysisby means of a sulphur chemiluminescence detector (SCD).</p><p><b>Keywords:</b>ring opening, naphthenes, cetane numberimprovement, indan, light cycle oil (LCO), Pt-Ir catalyst,catalyst characterization, aromatic sulphur compounds, GC-SCD,distribution, analysis.</p>

The global oil refining industry with its present shift inproduct distribution towards fuels such as gasoline and dieselwill most likely hold the fort for many years to come. However,times will change and survival will very much depend onprocessing flexibility and being at the frontiers of refiningtechnology, a technology where catalysts play leading roles.Today oil refiners are faced with the challenge to producefuels that meet increasingly tight environmentalspecifications, in particular with respect to maximum sulphurcontent. At the same time, the quality of crude oil is becomingworse with higher amounts of polyaromatics, heteroatoms(sulphur and nitrogen) and heavy metals. In order to staycompetitive, it is desirable to upgrade dense streams withinthe refinery to value-added products. For example, upgradingthe fluid catalytic cracking (FCC) by-product light cycle oil(LCO) into a high quality diesel blending component is a veryattractive route and might involve a two-step catalyticprocess. In the first step the LCO is hydrotreated andheteroatoms are removed and polyaromatics are saturated, in thesecond step naphthenic rings are selectively opened to improvethe cetane number of the final product. The present research is devoted to the second catalytic stepof LCO upgrading and was carried out within the framework of aEuropean Union project entitled RESCATS. From the patent literature it is evident that iridium-basedcatalysts seem to be good candidates for ring-opening purposes.A literature survey covering ring opening of naphthenicmolecules shows the need for extending investigations toheavier model substances, more representative of the dieselfraction than model compounds such as alkylated mono C5 and C6-naphthenic rings frequently employed in academic studies. Ring-opening catalysts, mainly Pt-Ir based, were synthesisedat KTH by two different methods: the microemulsion and theincipient wetness methods. Characterization of the catalystswas performed using a number of techniques including TPR,TEM-EDX, AFM and XPS etc. Catalytic screening at atmosphericpressure using pure indan as model substance was utilized todetect ring-opening activity and the magnitude of selectivityto desired cetane-boosting products. The development of suchring-opening catalysts is the topic of Paper I. When designing a catalytic system aimed at refiningpetroleum, it is crucial to monitor the evolution of thesulphur distribution throughout the different stages of theprocess so that catalyst properties and reaction parameters canbe optimised. The final section of this thesis and Paper II arethus devoted to high-resolution sulphur distribution analysisby means of a sulphur chemiluminescence detector (SCD). Keywords:ring opening, naphthenes, cetane numberimprovement, indan, light cycle oil (LCO), Pt-Ir catalyst,catalyst characterization, aromatic sulphur compounds, GC-SCD,distribution, analysis.