INFORM April 2026

EXTRACTS & DISTILLATES INFORM 45

IN-SITU HYDROGENATION OF HEAVY OIL VIA MEDIUM TEMPERATURE WATER–GAS SHIFT REACTION ENHANCED WITH SUPERCRITICAL N-HEPTANE: IMPROVED PAHS HYDROGENATION EFFECTIVENESS AND UPGRADED THERMAL CRACKING PERFORMANCE Wang, F., et al ., Fuel , 414, 138312, 2026. residue (VR) hydrogenation for oil quality enhancement, conventional approaches remain constrained by their reliance on costly hydrogen sources and harsh reaction conditions. To address these limitations, we proposed an innovative strategy for in situ hydrogenation of VR via medium temperature water– gas shift reaction ( mt WGSR) in the presence of supercritical n-heptane. Systematic analyses demonstrate that the supercritical n-heptane enhanced mt WGSR system significantly outperformed conventional mt WGSR at 300 °C, achieving superior While numerous studies have explored vacuum polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) hydrogenation efficiency. Molecular characterization revealed significant structural modifications in hydrogenated VR ( smt WGSR-VR) obtained through mt WGSR with supercritical n-heptane, including a 6.6 % increase in H/C atomic ratio, 13.5 % reduction in carbon residue, and a remarkable 170 % enhancement in hydrogen

the taste, texture, and overall palatability of food products. On the other hand, the consumption of TFA has been linked to several adverse health effects such as non communicable diseases, including cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, obesity, and certain cancers. As the disadvantages outweigh the advantages of consuming trans fatty acids, numerous nations have enacted stringent legislative and regulatory measures aimed at reducing or eliminating trans fats from the food supply. While conventional methods for removing trans fats, such as partial hydrogenation and fractionation, are well-established, recent advancements have led to the development of emerging technologies. Therefore, this review focuses on emerging technological strategies for eliminating trans fats including non-thermal dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) plasma hydrogenation, enzymatic interesterification, fat replacers, supercritical carbon dioxide hydrogenation, and biotechnological transgenic metabolic engineering. These advancements offer promising paths toward the production of healthier and sustainable food products, benefiting both small and large-scale food businesses.

donating ability (HDA) compared to original VR. These structural improvements translated to exceptional performance during subsequent thermal cracking at 410 °C for 40 min. The distillate oil yield increased from 37.3 wt% (original VR) to 43.2 wt%, accompanied by reductions in coke yield (0.30 % to 0.09 %), olefinic hydrogen content (3.02 % to 0.94 %), and thermal instability (spot number decreased from 4 to 2). Through model compound experiments and controlled trials, supercritical n-heptane was shown to enhance in-situ hydrogen utilization efficiency for direct PAH hydrogenation (e.g., anthracene and pyrene), enabling deeper hydrogenation pathways. Concurrently, hydrogen transfer from hydrogenated aromatics effectively suppressed both olefin formation and coke formation during smt WGSR thermal cracking. This work established a cost-effective and scalable pathway for heavy oil upgrading under moderate conditions, circumventing both the economic and technical barriers of traditional hydrogenation methods. ENHANCED COLD PLASMA HYDROGENATION WITH GLYCEROL AS HYDROGEN SOURCE FOR PRODUCTION OF TRANS -FAT-FREE MARGARINE

Priyanti, I., et al. , Scientific Reports , 14, 18468, 2024.

The quest for better nutritious foods has encouraged novel scientific investigations to