Hydrocarbon process oils producers

The synthetic rubber industry uses a number of hydrocarbon additives, specifically called process oils (to act as a plasticiser, used below 20 phr) or extenders (used to keep the costs down). There are a wide range of mineral oils used as process oils, produced by blending of crude oil distillates and these may be either paraffinic, naphthenic or aromatic. Process oils containing polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, are classified as potential carcinogens (and their use is decreasing considerably). 

Solvent wiping. Rubbers tend to swell by application of solvents and the mechanical interlocking of the adhesive is favored. Although chlorinated hydrocarbon solvents are the most effective, they are toxic and cannot be used toluene and ketones are currently the most common solvents. The treatment with solvents is effective in the removal of processing oils and plasticizers in vulcanized mbbers, but zinc stearate is not completely removed and antiozonant wax gradually migrates to the mbber/polyurethane adhesive interface. Table 27.1 shows the moderate increase in adhesion produced in SBR by MEK wiping. 

Hydrotreating has been proposed by Arbokem Inc. in Canada as a means of converting Grade Tall Oil into biofuels and fuel additives. However, this process is a hydrogenation process which produces hydrocarbons rather than biodiesel. Recently a process for making biodiesel from crude tall oil has been proposed. It relies on the use of an acid catalysts or of an acyl halide for the esterification reaction, but no information is given on the properties of this fuel, particularly concerning the oxidative stability. 

Existing processes for producing oil and gas products have required the development of phase behavior and other thermodynamic data on light hydrocarbons, heavy hydrocarbons, and the acid gases CO2 and HoS. For this reason a lot of basic data are available on these systems but there is still a lot we don t know such as how to characterize the behavior of hydrocarbon fractions containing numerous paraffin, naphthene, and aromatic components. Additional basic data on these systems would help to improve the efficiency of these existing processes. 

Dewaxing (Figure 4.17) processes also produce heater stack gas (carbon monoxide, sulfur oxides, nitrogen oxides, and particulate matter) as well as hydrocarbon emission such as fugitive propane and fugitive solvents. Steam stripping wastewater (oil and solvents) and solvent recovery wastewater (oil and propane) are also produced. The fugitive solvent emissions may be toxic (toluene, methyl ethyl ketone, methyl isobutyl ketone). 

Hydrotreating has been proposed by Arbokem in Canada [47] as a means of converting crude tall oil into biofuels and fuel additives. However, this process is a hydrogenation process that produces hydrocarbons rather than biodiesel. 

A refinery is essentially a group of manufacturing plants (Figure 7-1) that vary in number with the variety of products produced (Hydrocarbon Processing, 1998 Speight, 1999). Rehnery processes must be selected and products manufactured to give a balanced operation that is, crude oil must be converted into products... 

The activation of methane [1] is also included as one of the most desired yet not technically viable reactions. Abundant amounts of methane occur with crude oil and as gas in remote locations it is also produced in large quantities during hydrocarbon processing. A large fraction of this methane is flared, because economical use or transportation is not possible. This gas and the abundant resources of methane gas hydrates would make a very suitable feedstock for higher hydrocarbons, if its activation to produce molecules other than synthesis gas were feasible. Despite enormous fundamental and practical efforts [1-5], no applicable method has yet been found for creation of ethylene, methanol, or formaldehyde from methane. 

Several million of tons of oils from refineries, oil transportation, cutting machines, mills, off-shore platforms, etc., are spilled every year in water reservoirs and the sea. About half of this amount contaminates fresh water and an estimate suggests that humans use almost 4 L of hydrocarbons per person each day in the world [176], Oils can be present in wastewaters as a supernatant layer, adsorbed on suspended particles, forming emulsions, or even dissolved. Oils produce many changes in water properties their viscosity and conductivity are altered, and they acquire color and opacity. In addition to a negative esthetic impact and a bad taste, the light necessary for photo-biological processes is absorbed. 

In some oil producing countries (e.g. U.S.S.R.), toluene is obtained from aromatic fractions of petroleum or by aromatization of heavy petroleum hydrocarbons by cracking processes (in Poland studies on aromatization of petroleum were carried out by K. Smolenski [1] between 1922 and 1939). In war-time the demand for toluene for nitration was so large, that these two sources were inadequate. During World War II new methods of toluene manufacture on an industrial scale were developed starting from benzene and methyl alcohol and from n-heptane. 

There is water vapour in the air, as can be seen on a cold day when it condenses out of the air of a room onto the window panes of a house (unless they are double or triple glazed), or are even seen as we breathe out. Water vapour comes from any process of burning a hydrocarbon in oxygen, and that includes us as we burn up glucose in our bodies to produce energy plus the waste gases of C02 and H20. Our metabolic processes also produce water and water vapour, which we exhale in our breath. Plants do a similar thing. Cars, when they burn petrol, and power stations as they burn oil, gas or coal all produce water vapour. 

Application To produce ammonia from natural gas, LNG, LPG or naphtha. Other hydrocarbons—coal, oil, residues or methanol purge gas— are possible feedstocks with an adapted front-end. The process uses conventional steam reforming synthesis gas generation (front-end) and a medium-pressure (MP) ammonia synthesis loop. It is optimized with respect to low energy consumption and maximum reliability. The largest single-train plant built by Uhde with a conventional synthesis has a nameplate capacity of 2,000 metric tons per day (mtpd). For higher capacities refer to Uhde Dual Pressure Process. 

In this book, wherever possible literature references are given which should be followed for further information. The Oil Gas Journal articles are a useful source and these often give further references to conference proceedings and articles published in the academic literature. As well as technical articles. Hydrocarbon Processing produces reviews of technology on a regular basis. Nowadays, these are issued on a CD ROM and provide more details of different technologies from the various process licensors. 

It is not recommended to resurface tarmacked roads in the weeks prior to the grape harvest to protect wine quality, since this process can produce strong tar-like or naphthalene flavors and aromas. Any contamination by diesel-oil type hydrocarbons can render wines undrinkable. 

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