Detailed compositional study of the Light Cycle Oil (LCO) solvent extraction products

The liquid–liquid extraction of the Light Cycle Oils (LCO) fraction was studied using acetonitrile and its mixtures with water and methanol at 40 °C and 1:1.5 solvent-to-feed ratio. The yield of raffinate was found to increase with increased water content in the solvent, while it was invariant in the presence of MeOH. Detailed compositional study of the LCO feed stock and its extraction products using FT-IR and GC–MS techniques, revealed characteristic distribution patterns of individual saturated and aromatic hydrocarbons in the raffinate and extract fractions. The developed analytical protocol provides detailed compositional information of the extraction products and can be used efficiently in future studies dealing with the upgrading of the LCO.

Research highlights
► LCO upgrade with acetonitrile extraction and its water and methanol mixtures.
► Detailed compositional study (GC-MS and FT-IR) of the extraction products.
► Distribution coefficients for individual n-alkanes and aromatic compounds.