Obtaining humic substances from a carbonaceous industrial residue

In the refining of bio- and petro-oils, solid carbonaceous residues are obtained whose final destination is combustion. It is possible to take advantage of these residues through the oxidation technique in an aqueous medium, producing soluble oxygenated organic compounds, analogous to humic substances: humic acids, fulvic acids and humins (Ashtari, et al., 2016). Humic substances possess a large amount of phenolic and carboxylic groups, which provide them with characteristics for crop development. These include colloidal action on clays, ion exchange capacity, chelating action for metal capture and stimulation of soil micro-fauna and -flora. Additionally, they can be used in the formulation of lubricants, adsorbents and fuels (Martinez et al., 2013). This work explores the transformation of the carbonaceous residue of heavy oil coking, through its oxidation in an aqueous medium for the production of soluble organic compounds, with potential application in soil improvement and other applications, in such a way that it contributes to increase sustainability in the hydrocarbon production chain.