Assessment of γ-AL2O3 Prepared from Local Clay as an Effective Catalyst for Thermal Cracking of Atmospheric Residue: Optimizations of Variables and Analysis of the Upgraded Liquid Oil

Hussein, Ali Ammash

doi:10.33899/rjs.2025.163109.1495

	Assessment of γ-AL2O3 Prepared from Local Clay as an Effective Catalyst for Thermal Cracking of Atmospheric Residue: Optimizations of Variables and Analysis of the Upgraded Liquid Oil
Rafidain Journal of Science
Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript, Available Online from 25 September 2025
Document Type: Research Paper
DOI: 10.33899/rjs.2025.163109.1495
Author
Ali Ammash hussein^*
University of Mosul/ collage of science/ Department of chemistry
Abstract
This paper describes the synthesis of γ-Al2O3 catalyst from a local clay and Studying the effect of calcination time and calcination temperature on the surface area of gamma alumina., to be employed as a catalyst in the thermal cracking of the atmospheric residue (ATR) taken from a local refinery in Mosul city, North of Iraq. The XRD, BET surface area and pore size, FESEM, and EDX for the resulting γ-Al2O3 were diagnosed. Using a 2.0 wt.% of γ-Al2O3 catalyst, the optimally upgraded liquid oil was produced at 400 °C for 1h, with an output of 79 % and a 40.55° API gravity. Fundamentally, The resulting liquid fuel was also analyzed using The resulting liquid fuel was also analyzed using Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry and H-NMR The results showed that the fuel consists of aromatics, n-alkanes, olefins, and iso-alkanes. Moreover, it’s gasoline content was 20 vol.%, with an octane-value of 82 In addition, the flash point and the kinematics viscosity of the resulting fuel were low. Eventually, the as-synthesized γ-Al2O3 could be recommended as a potential catalyst for the catalytic thermal cracking processes of heavy residue and oils
Keywords
γ-Al2O3 catalyst; Atmospheric residue; Catalytic thermal cracking; Upgraded oil

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