Distillation range

Figure 1.1 illustrates the diversity of products derived from petroleum classified according to their distillation ranges and number of carbon atoms. From one crude to another, the proportions of the recovered fractions vary widely. A good illustration is the gasoline fraction (one of the most economically attractive) a crude from Qatar gives about 37 per cent by volume whereas a Boscan crude oil only yields 4.5%. 

The accuracy of the conversion depends on the smoothness of the D 86 curve. Errors affect essentially the points in the low % distilled ranges. Average error is on the order of 5°C for conversion of a smooth curve. 

Table 5.10 gives octane number examples for some conventional refinery stocks. These are given as orders of magnitude because the properties can vary according to process severity and the specified distillation range. 

The properties of straight run diesel fuels depend on both nature of the crude oil and selected distillation range. Thus the paraffinic crudes give cuts of satisfactory cetane number but poorer cold characteristics the opposite will be observed with naphthenic or aromatic crudes. The increasing demand for diesel fuel could lead the refiner to increase the distillation end point, but that will result in a deterioration of the cloud point. It is generally accepted that a weight gain in yield of 0.5% could increase the cloud point by 1°C. The compromise between quantity and quality is particularly difficult to reconcile. 

Outside of their very high resistance to auto-ignition, the aviation gasolines are characterized by the following specifications vapor pressure between 385 and 490 mbar at 37.8°C, a distillation range (end point less than 170°C), freezing point (-60°C) and sulfur content of less than 500 ppm. 

Note that the total sulfur levels are different from those appearing in Table 8.6 as a result of having different distillation ranges. 

The most important curve is the TBP distillation, properly defined as T = f (% volume or weight). Figure 8.4 shows the distillation curves for an Arabian Light crude. The chart is used to obtain yields for the different cuts as a function of the selected distillation range. 

The feedstocks used ia the production of petroleum resias are obtaiaed mainly from the low pressure vapor-phase cracking (steam cracking) and subsequent fractionation of petroleum distillates ranging from light naphthas to gas oil fractions, which typically boil ia the 20—450°C range (16). Obtaiaed from this process are feedstreams composed of atiphatic, aromatic, and cycloatiphatic olefins and diolefins, which are subsequently polymerized to yield resias of various compositioas and physical properties. Typically, feedstocks are divided iato atiphatic, cycloatiphatic, and aromatic streams. Table 2 illustrates the predominant olefinic hydrocarbons obtained from steam cracking processes for petroleum resia synthesis (18). 

Table 1. Generalized Distillation Ranges for Products Obtained During Crude Oil Refining...

Phenol quahty tests and analyses can be divided into two categories wet lab and Hquid and gas chromatography. In the wet lab, phenol is tested for pH, sohdification point, solubiUty in water, bromine index, color, and distillation ranges. Phenol concentration, impurities, and CHP contents are analy2ed using highly automated Hquid and gas chromatography. 

Hydrocarbon Solvents. Most hydrocarbon solvents are mixtures. Few commercial hydrocarbon solvents are single compounds. Toluene is an exception. Hydrocarbon solvents are usually purchased and suppHed on specification. The most important specification properties are distillation range, solvency as expressed by aniline cloud poiat and Kauri-Butanol (KB) value, specific gravity, and dash poiat. Composition requirements such as aromatic content and benzene concentration are also important ia many appHcations. 

Solvent Extraction. Extraction processes, used for separating one substance from another, are commonly employed in the pharmaceutical and food processing industries. Oilseed extraction is the most widely used extraction process on the basis of tons processed. Extraction-grade hexane is the solvent used to extract soybeans, cottonseed, com, peanuts, and other oilseeds to produce edible oils and meal used for animal feed supplements. Tight specifications require a narrow distillation range to minimize solvent losses as well as an extremely low benzene content. The specification also has a composition requirement, which is very unusual for a hydrocarbon, where the different components of the solvent must be present within certain ranges (see Exthaction). 

Combustion. The primary reaction carried out in the gas turbine combustion chamber is oxidation of a fuel to release its heat content at constant pressure. Atomized fuel mixed with enough air to form a close-to-stoichiometric mixture is continuously fed into a primary zone. There its heat of formation is released at flame temperatures deterruined by the pressure. The heat content of the fuel is therefore a primary measure of the attainable efficiency of the overall system in terms of fuel consumed per unit of work output. Table 6 fists the net heat content of a number of typical gas turbine fuels. Net rather than gross heat content is a more significant measure because heat of vaporization of the water formed in combustion cannot be recovered in aircraft exhaust. The most desirable gas turbine fuels for use in aircraft, after hydrogen, are hydrocarbons. Fuels that are liquid at normal atmospheric pressure and temperature are the most practical and widely used aircraft fuels kerosene, with a distillation range from 150 to 300 °C, is the best compromise to combine maximum mass —heat content with other desirable properties. For ground turbines, a wide variety of gaseous and heavy fuels are acceptable. 

The increase in fuel viscosity with temperature decrease is shown for several fuels in Figure 9. The departure from linearity as temperatures approach the pour point illustrates the non-Newtonian behavior created by wax matrices. The freezing point appears before the curves depart from linearity. It is apparent that the low temperature properties of fuel are closely related to its distillation range as well as to hydrocarbon composition. Wide-cut fuels have lower viscosities and freezing points than kerosenes, whereas heavier fuels used in ground turbines exhibit much higher viscosities and freezing points. 

CTF 50 and 400 indicate approximate preheat temperature, F, for atomization of fuel in burners (terminology used in British Standard B.S. 1469). Properties depend on distillation range, as shown, and to a lesser extent on coal source. 

Handling and storage Ramsay and Young Tabulated (see also Vapour pressure and Distillation range)... 

Distillation range Design of recovery plant Distillation... 

Volatility Fire and explosion hazard see Distillation range and... 

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