Key words: asphaltit, thermolysis, asphaltenes, resins, oils, supercritical fluids
The processes of thermal destruction of asphaltites recovered from Rafaelita and Toribia deposits have been studied in the presence of water, benzene, tetraline and ethanol in supercritical state. Solvent nature is of great importance at thermal destruction — maximal conversion of both asphaltites (99 % mass) into liquid products was achieved in a tetraline medium. Not more than 70 % of asphaltite mass was transformed into «synthetic oil» in an aqueous medium. High-molecular compounds — resins and asphaltenes, total content of which amounts to more than 60 % mass, are the main component of liquid products. No more than 40 % of asphaltene structures, 33 % of resins and 40 % mass of oils are formed in tetraline and ethanol media. Saturated hydrocarbons and polyaromatic structures are the main oil component in all the experiments. A high content of saturated and polyaromatic hydrocarbons in the products of asphaltite cracking is probably due to a destructive hydrogenation and dissolution of asphaltite organic mass.