Environmental Impact of Refining

Petroleum refining is one of the largest industries in the United States, and potential environmental hazards associated with refineries have caused increased concern for coimnunities in close proximity to them. This update provides a general overview of the processes involved and some of the potential environmental hazards associated with petroleum refineries (see also Chapter 3). [Pg.131]

Briefly, petroleum refining involves a series of steps, including separation and blending of petroleum products. The five major processes are described briefly below. [Pg.131]

Separation processes. These processes involve separating the different constituents into fractions based on their boiling-point differences. Additional processing of these fractions is usually needed to produce final products to be sold within the market. [Pg.131]

Conversion processes. Coking and cracking are conversion processes used to break down higher-molecular-weight constituents into lower-molecular-weight product by heating and by use of catalysts. [Pg.131]

Blending/combination processes. Refineries use blending/combination processes to create mixtures with the various petroleum fractions to produce a desired final product, such as gasoline with various octane ratings. [Pg.131]

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