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This review discusses recent research findings spanning the last two decades concerning ultrasonic technologies applicable to the oil, gas, and coal sectors. Various experiments conducted in laboratories have demonstrated the efficacy, cost-effectiveness, and environmental friendliness of ultrasound in recovering and processing oil, bitumen, coal, and oil shale. Ultrasound enhances formation permeability, coal gas permeability, and oil viscosity, particularly when delivered in short, powerful pulses at medium frequencies. Combining ultrasound with traditional recovery methods has shown promising results, boosting recovery efficiency by up to 100%. At the same time, ultrasonic treatment reduces the use of traditional reagents, thereby reducing environmental pollution. Moreover, ultrasound treatment shows potential in tasks such as separating oil–water emulsions, desulfurization, dewaxing oil, coal enrichment, and extracting valuable metals from metal-bearing shales through hydrometallurgical leaching. However, the widespread industrial implementation of ultrasonic technology necessitates further field and mathematical research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the production of sulfuric acid, sulfur cake—a waste product of the sulfur purification process—is formed in large quantities, which requires its disposal and use. For its use in composite materials, modification is necessary to convert sulfur into a polymer form. The aim of the study was to develop a method for modifying sulfur cake—a waste product of sulfuric acid production—for its disposal. Available reagents—styrene, glycerol, and oleic acid—were tested as modifiers in the work. The sample compositions consisted of 100% sulfur cake (no. 1) and its mixtures: 97% sulfur cake + 3% styrene (no. 2), 97% sulfur cake + 3% glycerol (no. 3), 97% sulfur cake + 3% oleic acid (no. 4), 95% sulfur cake + 3% styrene, 1% glycerol, and 1% oleic acid (no. 5). Modification of sulfur cake was carried out at a temperature of 140 °C for 30 min. The composition, crystal structure, and thermal properties of the samples of the original and modified sulfur cake were studied using X-ray phase and X-ray structural analyses, IR spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, differential thermal and thermogravimetric analysis. The optimal modifier for sulfur cake was a mixture of styrene, glycerol, and oleic acid, which led to the formation of acetal (polyoxymethylene) and an improvement in the structure due to a decrease in the content of impurities. Modification of sulfur cake with styrene resulted in the appearance of a CAr–S bond band at 571 cm−1, and modification with oleic acid a C–S band in the region of 694 cm−1 in the IR spectra. The results of differential scanning calorimetric analysis showed an increase in the heat of fusion of sulfur by 12.45 J/g in the samples of sulfur cake modified with glycerol and styrene. Modification of sulfur cake with oleic acid and a mixture of reagents resulted in the appearance of a third peak with maxima at 244.2 and 264.0 °C, which demonstrated a significant effect of the indicated additives on the thermal behavior of the sulfur cake. Proposed schemes for modifying sulfur cake with styrene and oleic acid are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

According to scientific research from different countries, crumb rubber obtained from end-of-life tires (ELT) during processing can improve the properties of the asphalt mixture, thereby extending the service life of the road surface. This paper presents the modification of bitumen with industrial rubber waste. The modification of bitumen for roads is considered one of the most suitable and popular approaches. This research paper describes the details of using different types of crumb rubber as bitumen modifiers. The modified bitumen's main physical and mechanical characteristics were determined after conventional tests: penetration and ductility, softening point, and Fraas brittleness point. In order to obtain a rubber–asphalt concrete mixture with improved performance characteristics, the viscoelastic and rheological properties of rubber–bitumen binders and their comparison with polymer–bitumen binders were also studied. The research results show that with increasing temperature, the values of viscosity, shear stress and complex shear modulus of all studied bitumen systems decrease, the values of the phase shift angle increase, and the size of the rubber particles has a greater influence on the properties of bitumen systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transformations of high-molecular-weight compounds of oil sand natural bitumen under the heat treatment were studied in this work. For that purpose the natural bitumen isolated from oil sand taken from the Beke field (Kazakhstan) was used as a substrate. Thermal processing of natural bitumen leads to a general change in the chemical composition of components and to an increase in the output of certain fractions. The contents of oil, tar and asphaltenes were determined and the elemental composition of tar-asphaltene compounds was evaluated. Molecular structures of the tar and asphaltene components of natural bitumen before and after cracking have been defined from the data of elemental analysis, NMR spectroscopy and molecular weight. The high molecular compounds were presented as giant molecules containing small aromatic islands some of which were linked by aliphatic chains, that was proved by infrared spectroscopy.

The results of the oxidative desulfurization process (combination of straight-run gasoline fraction and gas condensate oxidation with subsequent rectification) are presented. It is shown for the first time that it is possible to obtain a gasoline fraction with ultra-low sulfur content by oxidation and rectification of gas condensate. Optimum conditions have been selected for the process of sulfur compounds oxidation and subsequent rectification of gas condensate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nowadays in the world, due to the constant desire for recycling, many countries are considering the use of recycled plastics on roads. Modification of bitumen for roads in Kazakhstan is considered one of the most suitable and popular approaches. This paper presents the results of research on the modification of bitumen by recycled plastics from waste materials. The paper describes the details of the use of plastic waste as bitumen modifiers, with a specific focus on recycled plastics and how they can potentially be used to enhance bitumen performance and the road durability. The main physical and mechanical characteristics of the modified bitumen were determined after routine tests, penetration and plasticity, softening temperature, brittleness temperature on Fraas and microscopic analysis. The morphology of the modified bitumen was studied using scanning electron microscopy. The results confirm that the modified bitumen complies with the requirements for polymer-bitumen binder of Kazakhstani standards and is suitable for the production of modified bitumen by its physical and chemical characteristics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper presents the results of thermal cracking of natural bitumens of the Beke and Munaily Mola oil sand deposits (Kazakhstan). The data obtained show that the high-molecular components of the bitumen of the Munaily Mola deposit are more easily cracked than those of the Beke deposit. The cracking of natural Beke bitumen in a medium of water vapor, acetonitrile and isopropanol is studied at different temperatures and pressures. The effect of the heterogeneous additive - nano-sized copper (II) oxide on the cracking efficiency of natural bitumen components is identified. The total yield of gas and coke is 3.2%, while the distillate fractions is 40.8 mass % in case of cracking of the Beke natural bitumen in a flow reactor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article shows the results of thermal cracking of natural bitumen of Kazakhstan's two deposits. The variation of the chemical and the fractional composition of the cracking products are determined depending on the process conditions. A comparative analysis of the influence of the catalyst is carried out to composition of natural bitumen. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents the results of research on the production of polymer-bitumen binder (PBB) based on mixtures of non-oxidized and oxidized petroleum products, namely high-viscosity tar, darkened vacuum distillate, and oxidized petroleum bitumen 70/100, obtained at technological installations of Limited Liability Partnership (LLP) "JV Caspi Bitum" and styrene-butadiene-styrene (SBS) block copolymer brand L 30-01A modifier in the presence of a stabilizer. The results obtained show that the introduction of the SBS modifier in the presence of a sulfur stabilizer improves the performance characteristics of PBB, such as elasticity, ductility, softening temperature, penetration, and brittleness temperature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

According to scientific research from different countries, crumb rubber obtained from end-of-life tires (ELT) during processing can improve the properties of the asphalt mixture, thereby extending the service life of the road surface. This paper presents the modification of bitumen with industrial rubber waste. The modification of bitumen for roads is considered one of the most suitable and popular approaches. This research paper describes the details of using different types of crumb rubber as bitumen modifiers. The modified bitumen's main physical and mechanical characteristics were determined after conventional tests: penetration and ductility, softening point, and Fraas brittleness point. In order to obtain a rubber-asphalt concrete mixture with improved performance characteristics, the viscoelastic and rheological properties of rubber-bitumen binders and their comparison with polymer-bitumen binders were also studied. The research results show that with increasing temperature, the values of viscosity, shear stress and complex shear modulus of all studied bitumen systems decrease, the values of the phase shift angle increase, and the size of the rubber particles has a greater influence on the properties of bitumen systems.