Extraction of Ni and V from petroleum using ionic liquids: A promising approach

Petroleum, a complex mixture of organic and inorganic compounds, undergoes extensive physical and chemical transformations over time. While hydrocarbons are considered major components of petroleum, trace elements such as Nickel (Ni) and Vanadium (V) occur in lower concentrations. These elements can adversely affect refinery catalysts, with potential environmental implications for human health. To address this challenge, our study focuses on developing an efficient method to demetallize the petroleum matrix and reduces Ni and V concentrations in crude oils. Then, this study proposes the use of environmentally friendly solvents known as ionic liquids to extract trace elements in petroleum. Highly pure 1,3-dialkylimidazolium-based ionic liquids were synthesized through the alkylation of 1-methylimidazole, followed by anion metathesis. These ionic liquids were thoroughly characterized using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and high-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS). Subsequently, the synthesized ionic liquids were used in liquid–liquid extraction process to selectively remove Ni and V from crude oil. The results demonstrate the feasibility of this approach, offering higher extraction of Ni and V from crude oil when solutions containing [C8C1Im][SbF6] were used.