Prospect of Controlled Autoxidation to Produce High-Value Products from the Low-Value Petroleum Fractions

Substantial amounts of low-value light petroleum fractions and low-value heavy petroleum fractions, such as light naphtha, HVGO, and vacuum residue, are generated during the upgrading and refining of conventional and unconventional petroleum resources. The oil industry emphasizes economic diversification, aiming to produce high-value products from these low petroleum fractions through cost-effective and sustainable methods. Controlled autoxidation (oxidation with air) has the potential to produce industrially important oxygenates, including alcohols, and ketones, from the low-value light petroleum fractions. The produced alcohols can also be converted to olefin through catalytic dehydration. Following controlled autoxidation, the low-value heavy petroleum fractions can be utilized to produce value-added products, including carbon fiber precursors. It would reduce the production cost of a highly demandable product, carbon fiber. This review highlights the prospect of developing an alternative, sustainable, and economic method to produce value-added products from the low-value petroleum fractions following a controlled autoxidation approach.

Engineering advancements in microfluidic systems for enhanced mixing at low Reynolds numbers

Mixing within micro- and millichannels is a pivotal element across various applications, ranging from chemical synthesis to biomedical diagnostics and environmental monitoring. The inherent low Reynolds number flow in these channels often results in a parabolic velocity profile, leading to a broad residence time distribution. Achieving efficient mixing at such small scales presents unique challenges and opportunities. This review encompasses various techniques and strategies to evaluate and enhance mixing efficiency in these confined environments. It explores the significance of mixing in micro- and millichannels, highlighting its relevance for enhanced reaction kinetics, homogeneity in mixed fluids, and analytical accuracy. We discuss various mixing methodologies that have been employed to get a narrower residence time distribution. The role of channel geometry, flow conditions, and mixing mechanisms in influencing the mixing performance are also discussed. Various emerging technologies and advancements in microfluidic devices and tools specifically designed to enhance mixing efficiency are highlighted. We emphasize the potential applications of micro- and millichannels in fields of nanoparticle synthesis, which can be utilized for biological applications. Additionally, the prospects of machine learning and artificial intelligence are offered toward incorporating better mixing to achieve precise control over nanoparticle synthesis, ultimately enhancing the potential for applications in these miniature fluidic systems.

Liquid Phase Oxidation of Hydrocarbons to High-Value Chemicals in Microfluidic Reactors - Prospects and Challenges

Liquid phase oxidation (LPO) of hydrocarbon is an industrially important process to produce petrochemicals and pharmaceuticals. It follows a free radical path having initiation, propagation and termination. The initiation step is slow while the propagation and termination steps are fast. The main challenge of such process is to control product selectivity at an appreciable conversion level. With the advancement of microfluidic reactor technology, it is possible to control the free radical steps. The present contribution critically reviewed the reaction engineering aspects of LPO of hydrocarbon, the influence of microfluidic reactor design and operation on reaction mechanism, conversion and product selectivity. It also outlines the challenges associated with microfluidic reactor operation, and prospects to apply the understanding from microfluidic reactors in few sectors. The understanding from the free radical oxidation process can also be applied to any other free radical processes.

A statistical approach dealing with multicollinearity among predictors in microfluidic reactor operation to control liquid-phase oxidation selectivity

Chemometric tools to monitor the tetralin oxidation process and identify key parameters that influence product selectivity have not been investigated before.