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Nickel nanoparticles was supported on sawdust carbon via a hydrothermal method followed by calcination and used as a catalyst for heavy crude oil upgrading experiment. The performance of catalyst on catalytic pyrolysis of heavy crude oil was studied by laboratory experiments. The experimental results showed that under the reaction conditions of 350 °C, 30 min and 0.1 wt% catalyst, the viscosity reduction ratio of heavy crude oil was 74.50%, the viscosity can be reduced from 16,000 mPa·s (50 °C) to 4080 mPa·s, and the net efficiency of catalyst was 14.37%. Analysis results suggested that the viscosity reduction of heavy crude oil was caused by the destruction of structure of resin in the process of the catalytic pyrolysis reaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A transition metal oxide catalyst of copper oxide nanoparticles was synthesized by a conventional non-hydrothermal method. It was studied as a catalyst in thermocatalytic upgrading and viscosity reduction of heavy oil in the laboratory. The experimental results showed that the viscosity of heavy oil may be reduced by 85.75% with 0.2 wt% catalyst at 350 °C for 40 min. With determinations of analyzation, it was found that under the thermocatalytic action of copper oxide nanoparticles, the presence of hydrogen-donor in the reaction could further improve the chemical constitution of resin and asphaltene in heavy oil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A novel biomass-based catalyst for catalytic upgrading and viscosity reduction process of heavy oil was prepared. • The mechanism analysis of catalyst on catalytic upgrading of heavy oil was explained in detail. • Non-acidic components in the catalyst could upgrade the chemical structure of heavy compositions. A biomass-based catalyst for catalytic upgrading and viscosity reduction process of heavy oil was prepared. The experimental results showed the viscosity of oil sample reduced from 508800 mPa.s to 22230 mPa.s (50 ℃) with 0.2wt% biomass-based catalyst at 320 ℃ for 30 min, and the viscosity reduction was up to 95.63%. The content of resin was significantly reduced by 10.1% after reaction under the optimal conditions. Furthermore, composition analysis, FT-IR analysis, thermogravimetric analysis and elemental analysis of the biomass-based catalyst were characterized in detail. In addition, FT-IR analysis, elemental analysis and SEM analysis were employed to evaluate the properties of oil sample. Further, influence mechanism of biomass-based catalyst on catalytic upgrading process of heavy oil was expounded through viscosity change, SARA analysis, 1H-NMR analysis, weight average molecular weight and average particle sizes analysis, and the above analysis results revealed that under the catalytic action of organic nickel salt, the presence of non-acidic components in the catalyst could improve the chemical structures of heavy compositions of oil sample. Finally, a possible schematic diagram of catalytic upgrading process was simply depicted in this work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Influence of catalytic co-pyrolysis of heavy oil and sawdust on heavy oil viscosity. • The viscosity reduction ratio of heavy oil reached to 98% under the optimal reaction conditions. • The significant synergetic eff ;ect on viscosity reduction of heavy oil existed in catalytic co-pyrolysis system. • Pyrolysis products of sawdust were greatly conducive to reduce the viscosity of heavy oil. In order to research the viscosity reduction process of heavy oil by catalytic co-pyrolysis with biomass, the catalytic co-pyrolysis experiments of Liaohe heavy oil and sawdust with calcium naphthenate as catalyst were implemented in this paper. The experimental results showed that the viscosity reduction ratio was up to 98% under the optimum reaction conditions with reaction temperature of 350℃, reaction time of 30 min, sawdust content of 5 wt% and catalyst content of 0.05 wt%. To investigate changes in composition and structure of heavy oil before and after reaction, the oil samples were characterized by elemental analysis (EL), vapor pressure osmometry (VPO), gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC–MS), 1H nuclear magnetic resonance (1H NMR) and scanning electron microscope (SEM). In addition, the catalytic pyrolysis mechanism was researched to explain the catalytic effect of calcium naphthenate on the co-pyrolysis reaction. Besides, the significant synergetic eff ;ect on viscosity reduction of heavy oil in catalytic co-pyrolysis system was demonstrated further. Finally, liquid products of sawdust pyrolysis were found to be beneficial to viscosity reduction of heavy oil. This work had a certain reference value for utilizing renewable biomass energy in viscosity reduction process of heavy oil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]