Process Intensification of Upgradation of Crude Oil and Vacuum Residue by Hydrodynamic Cavitation and Microwave Irradiation

The crude oil and vacuum residue (VR), when subjected to the hydrodynamic cavitation (HC) or microwave irradiation, showed cracking of larger molecular weight compounds into smaller molecules. The productivity of light and intermediate petroleum fractions of the crude after the HC treatment increased in the range of 3–7%, while the microwave treatment with activated carbon as an efficient microwave absorber showed 12% conversion of VR into distillate products. The HC altered the density, viscosity, iodine values and % of distillate fractions marginally, but significantly changed the light and middle distillates recovery, and the carbon number profiles of the crude.