Prospect of Controlled Autoxidation to Produce High-Value Products from the Low-Value Petroleum Fractions

Substantial amounts of low-value light petroleum fractions and low-value heavy petroleum fractions, such as light naphtha, HVGO, and vacuum residue, are generated during the upgrading and refining of conventional and unconventional petroleum resources. The oil industry emphasizes economic diversification, aiming to produce high-value products from these low petroleum fractions through cost-effective and sustainable methods. Controlled autoxidation (oxidation with air) has the potential to produce industrially important oxygenates, including alcohols, and ketones, from the low-value light petroleum fractions. The produced alcohols can also be converted to olefin through catalytic dehydration. Following controlled autoxidation, the low-value heavy petroleum fractions can be utilized to produce value-added products, including carbon fiber precursors. It would reduce the production cost of a highly demandable product, carbon fiber. This review highlights the prospect of developing an alternative, sustainable, and economic method to produce value-added products from the low-value petroleum fractions following a controlled autoxidation approach.