Electron-Beam Processing of Petroleum Sludge

Thermal radiolysis under the conditions of electron-beam distillation at a dose to 240 kGy converts petroleum sludge into C₄–C₃₁ hydrocarbons with a yield to 80 wt %. The condensate distilled off contains about 20 wt % alkenes, thereby indicating the chain regeneration and thermal fragmentation of bulky alkyl radicals. The yield of the condensate increases to 90 wt % in the case of mixing the initial petroleum sludge with lignin. In this case, the yield of alkenes is lower due to the binding of unsaturated compounds by the components of charcoal and tar and because of a change in the mechanism of alkane fragmentation in the presence of lignin.