Mechanical petroleum drying

The most basic method in mechanical petroleum drying is gravitational settling. There are two types of settling modes periodic (i.e. batch) and continuous. These are carried out in batch and continuous separators, respectively. 

In the case continuous separation, two types of separators can be distinguished horizontal and vertical continuous separators. Horizontal separators are subdivided into longitudinal and radial. Longitudinal horizontal separators can be rectangular or round depending on the geometry of the cross section. 

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More often however, water in crude petroleum is present in its dispersed form, emulsion of water in oil. There are two versions of this emulsion mechanical non-stabilized and stabilized by interfacial-active substances. This distinction for emulsions is essential for petroleum drying. Water from non-stabilized emul-... 

Settling, centrifugation and filtration are mechanical methods for petroleum drying. 

Into a 1-litre beaker, provided with a mechanical stirrer, place 36 - 8 g. (36 ml.) of aniline, 50 g. of sodium bicarbonate and 350 ml. of water cool to 12-15° by the addition of a little crushed ice. Stir the mixture, and introduce 85 g. of powdered, resublimed iodine in portions of 5-6 g, at intervals of 2-3 minutes so that all the iodine is added during 30 minutes. Continue stirring for 20-30 minutes, by which time the colour of the free iodine in the solution has practically disappeared and the reaction is complete. Filter the crude p-iodoaniline with suction on a Buchner funnel, drain as completely as possible, and dry it in the air. Save the filtrate for the recovery of the iodine (1). Place the crude product in a 750 ml. round-bottomed flask fitted with a reflux double surface condenser add 325 ml. of light petroleum, b.p. 60-80°, and heat in a water bath maintained at 75-80°. Shake the flask frequently and after about 15 minutes, slowly decant the clear hot solution into a beaker set in a freezing mixture of ice and salt, and stir constantly. The p-iodoaniline crystallises almost immediately in almost colourless needles filter and dry the crystals in the air. Return the filtrate to the flask for use in a second extraction as before (2). The yield of p-iodoaniline, m.p. 62-63°, is 60 g. 

In a dry, 1-1., two-necked flask, equipped with a mechanical stirrer and a reflux condenser fitted with a drying tube, are placed 17.8 g. (0.100 mole) of anthracene (Note 1), 27.2 g. (0.202 mole) of anhydrous cupric chloride (Note 2), and 500 ml. of carbon tetrachloride (Note 3). The reaction mixture is stirred and heated under reflux for 18-24 hours. The brown cupric chloride is gradually converted to white cuprous chloride, and hydrogen chloride is gradually evolved. At the end of the reaction the cuprous chloride is removed by filtration, and the carbon tetrachloride solution is passed through a 35-mm. chromatographic column filled with 200 g. of alumina (Note 4). The column is eluted with 400 ml. of carbon tetrachloride. The combined eluates are evaporated to dryness to give 19-21 g. (89-99%) of 9-chloroanthracene as a lemon-yellow solid, m.p. 102-104° (Note 5). Crystallization of the product from petroleum ether... 

A solution of 183 g. (1.10 moles) of triethyl phosphite (Note 1) in 200 ml. of petroleum ether (b.p. 30-60°) is added to a 3-1., three-necked, round-bottomed flask equipped with a mechanical stirrer, a thermometer, a dropping funnel, and an air condenser the open end of the condenser is connected to a drying tube filled with calcium sulfate or calcium chloride. The flask is immersed in a freezing mixture of sodium chloride and ice, and the stirrer is started. When the temperature of the phosphite solution reaches 0°, a solution of 273 g. (1.00 mole) of hexachlorocyclopentadiene (Note 2) in 100 ml. of petroleum ether (b.p. 30-60°) is added through the dropping funnel at such a rate that the temperature remains between 0° and 10°. The addition requires about 4-6 hours. After the addition is complete, the freezing mixture is removed, and the brown, clear solution is allowed to warm up to room temperature. 

Dissolve 71 g. of P-methylnaphthalene in 460 g. (283 ml.) of A.B. carbon tetrachloride and place the solution in a 1 -litre three-necked flask equipped with a mechanical stirrer and reflux condenser. Introduce 89 g. of JV-bromosuccinimide through the third neck, close the latter with a stopper, and reflux the mixture with stirring for 16 hours. Filter ofiT the succinimide and remove the solvent under reduced pressure on a water bath. Dissolve the residual brown oil (largely 2-bromomethyl naphthalene) in 300 ml. of A.R. chloroform, and add it to a rapidly stirred solution of 84 g. of hexamine in 150 ml. of A.R. chloroform contained in a 2-litre three-necked flask, fitted with a reflux condenser, mechanical stirrer and dropping funnel maintain the rate of addition so that the mixture refluxes vigorously. A white solid separates almost immediately. Heat the mixture to reflux for 30 minutes, cool and filter. Wash the crystalline hexaminium bromide with two 100 ml. portions of light petroleum, b.p. 40-60°, and dry the yield of solid, m.p. 175-176°, is 147 g. Reflux the hexaminium salt for 2 hours with 760 ml. of 60 per cent, acetic acid, add 160 ml. of concentrated hydrochloric acid, continue the refluxing for 5 minutes more, and cool. Extract the aldehyde from the solution with ether, evaporate the ether, and recrystallise the residue from hot -hexane. The yield of p-naphthaldehyde, m.p. 69-60°, is 60 g. 

Most of the liquid fuels in use today are obtained from crude oil, also called petroleum, a brownish-green to black colored viscous oil found under the crust of the Earth either on shore or off shore. This oil either flows out by itself due to underground gas or hydrostatic pressure, or it is mechanically pumped out. Petroleum almost always occurs along with gas called natural gas. When the oil well contains both oil and gas it is called a wet well, and when it contains only gas it is called a dry well. 

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