Oxygen in petroleum

S Guan, A Marshall, S Scheppele. Resolution and chemical formula identification of aromatic hydrocarbons and aromatic compunds containing sulfur, nitrogen, or oxygen in petroleum distillates and refinery streams. Anal Chem 68 46-71, 1996. 

Lewan MD (1992b) Water as a source of hydrogen and oxygen in petroleum formation. 

Oxygen is present only in small quantities in petroleum as illustrated in Table 1.5, and its concentration is usually determined by subtracting the combined carbon, hydrogen, and nitrogen total from 100. 

The octane numbers of many pure compounds have been measured and reported in the Hterature. Probably the most comprehensive project was carried out under the auspices of the American Petroleum Institute (18). Table 2 Hsts RON and MON values for a number of representative compounds. Some aromatic compounds cannot be tested neat in the knock engine, so these are evaluated at levels of 20%, and the equivalent octane number is calculated. The values for oxygenates in Table 2 have been reported elsewhere (19). 

In petroleum and oxygenate finish removers, the major ingredient is normally acetone, methyl ethyl ketone [78-93-3], or toluene. Cosolvents include methanol, / -butanol [71-36-3], j -butyl alcohol [78-92-2], or xylene [1330-20-7]. Sodium hydroxide or amines are used to activate the remover. Paraffin wax is used as an evaporation retarder though its effectiveness is limited because it is highly soluble in the petroleum solvents. CeUulose thickeners are sometimes added to liquid formulas to assist in pulling the paraffin wax from the liquid to form a vapor barrier or to make a thick formula. Corrosion inhibitors are added to stabili2e tbe formula for packaging (qv). 

The first commercial oil-fumace process was put into operation in 1943 by the Phillips Petroleum Co. in Borger, Texas. The oil-fumace blacks rapidly displaced all other types used for the reinforcement of mbber and today account for practically all carbon black production. In the oil-fumace process heavy aromatic residual oils are atomized into a primary combustion flame where the excess oxygen in the primary zone bums a portion of the residual oil to maintain flame temperatures, and the remaining oil is thermally decomposed into carbon and hydrogen. Yields in this process are in the range of 35 to 50% based on the total carbon input. A broad range of product quaHties can be produced. 

Oxygen compounds in crude oils are more complex than the sulfur types. However, their presence in petroleum streams is not poisonous to processing catalysts. Many of the oxygen compounds found in crude oils are weakly acidic. They are carboxylic acids, cresylic acid, phenol, and naphthenic acid. Naphthenic acids are mainly cyclopentane and cyclohexane derivatives having a carboxyalkyl side chain. 

Snyder, L.R. Nitrogen and Oxygen Compound Types in Petroleum. Total Analysis of a 400-700oF Distillate from a California Crude Oil, Anal. Chem. 1969, 41, 314. 

Both butanes occur in natural gas, petroleum, and refinery gases. They show little chemical reactivity at ordinary temperatures but bum readily when ignited in air or oxygen. In atmospheric burning smoke production normally occurs. 

Detonations can occur in solids and liquids but are particularly frequent in petroleum facilities in mixtures of hydrocarbon vapors with air or oxygen. Detonations will develop more rapidly at initial pressures above ambient atmospheric pressure. If the initial pressure is high the detonation pressure will be more severe and destructive. 

Water is the most useful and vital fire suppression medium, whether used for fixed systems or manual fire fighting efforts for petroleum facilities. It is relatively inexpensive and normally plentiful. It has enormous heat absorption properties. Approximately 3.8 liters (1.0 gal.) of water absorbs about 1,512 k cal (6,000 Btu), when vaporized to steam. Steam created by water evaporation expands to about 17,000 times its volume in open atmospheres, thereby limiting combustion processes by displacing oxygen in the area. 

Petroleum vacuum residua, 48 589-591. See also Petroleum residua (resid) nitrogen and oxygen in, 48 590 Petroleum waxes, 48 670-671 26 214-218 applications for, 26 218 production of, 26 216... 

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