(81a) Opportunity Crude Oil Contaminants Affecting Salt Hydrolysis

Processing opportunity crude can play an important role in refinery profitability, but the risks are high because these crude oils usually come laden with contaminants which cause high maintenance costs and equipment losses due to excessive corrosion. In particular, overhead corrosion is caused by the mineral salts, magnesium, calcium and sodium chloride which are hydrolyzed to produce volatile hydrochloric acid, causing a highly corrosive condition in the overhead exchangers. Therefore these salts present a significant contamination in opportunity crude oils. Other contaminants in opportunity crude oils which are shown to accelerate the hydrolysis reactions are inorganic clays and organic acids. The impact of each of these contaminants on hydrolysis is shown in a simulated crude oil and two crude oils from Canada, classified as ?opportunity?. Hydrolysis intensity was determined as a function of chloride production under distillation conditions in the laboratory. Chemical additives are shown to be effective in reducing the hydrolysis reaction for various opportunity crude oils, currently on the market.