Positional isomerization of butene-2 to butene-1 was investigated over nanoporous MCM-48 catalysts. The effects of the method and the amount of aluminum incorporation into MCM-48 on the catalyst characteristics were studied, with respect to the butene-2 isomerization reaction. Incorporation of aluminum into MCM-48 using a post-synthetic grafting method (P) or direct sol-gel method (D) increases the total acid amount due to the increase in the Lewis acidity level. From the results of butene-2 isomerization, the yield of butene-1 was increased although the selectivity of butene-1 was decreased due to an increase of byproducts such as i-butene, cracked fraction, and C5+ hydrocarbons. This trend is nearly identical over both catalyst preparation methods; the effect of Al incorporation method on the butene-1 yield and the selectivity appeared negligible. The maximum yield of butene-1 was 27.1 wt% by feeding pure butene-2 in the reaction condition as follows: a temperature of 450 degrees C, atmospheric pressure, and with the WHSV at 70 h(-1).

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Dibenzothiophene sulfone (DBTS), one of the products of the oxidative desulfurization of heavy oil, can be removed through extraction as well as by an adsorption process. It is necessary to utilize DBTS in conjunction with catalytic cracking. An object of the present study is to provide an Mg-Al-mesoporous silica catalyst for the removal of sulfur dioxide from DBTS. The characteristics of the Mg-Al-mesoporous silica catalyst were investigated through N2 adsorption, XRD, ICP, and XRF. An Mg-Al-mesoporous silica catalyst formulated in a direct incorporation method showed higher catalytic performance compared to pure MgO during the catalytic removal of sulfur dioxide from DBTS. The higher dispersion of Mg as well as the large surface area of the Mg-Al-mesoporous silica catalyst strongly influenced the catalyst basicity in DBTS cracking.

Based on a theoretical background [1,2], a lab scale cylindrical SAGD (steam assisted gravity drainage) model was designed, constructed and operated. There are six different parts in the apparatus: (1) water supplier, (2) steam generator, (3) SAGD cylindrical model, (4) cooling system, (5) constant pressure maintaining system and (6) production system. Temperature, pressure and steam injection rate were controlled by computer, and product (mixture of oil and water) was collected/separated manually. Extra heavy oil (<10 cp at 200 o C) and glass bead (diameter 1.5 mm) were mixed homogeneously for making porosity of 0.3 and applied for simulating oil sand. For obtaining optimum operation conditions of SAGD apparatus, several attempts were made. When the steam at high temperature (160-180 o C), high pressure (8-9 atm) was injected with 20-25 cc/min, cSOR (cumulative steam to oil ratio) of about 5 was obtained with oil recovery of 78.8%.