Production of Light Oil by Oxidative Cracking of Oil Sand Bitumen Using Iron Oxide Catalysts in a Steam Atmosphere

Catalytic cracking of Canadian oil sand bitumen was performed using zirconia−alumina−iron oxide catalysts at 450−500 °C in a steam atmosphere. The heavy-oil fraction of bitumen was oxidatively cracked to produce light oil, corresponding to gasoline, kerosene, and gas oil, with a boiling point of <350 °C. However, some coke was generated after the reaction of bitumen, whereas coke was not generated from conventional residual oil at the same reaction conditions. To suppress the coke generation, reaction conditions were changed on the basis of the reaction mechanism. When the time factor (ratio of the catalyst weight/feedstock flow rate) increased, large amounts of active oxygen species were generated from steam and these species suppressed the coke formation. The largest yield of light oil was approximately 50 mol % C with no coke formation for reaction conditions of a time factor of 3.6 h at 450−500 °C and 2.0 h at 500 °C.