Petrochemical studies

Ernst W. G. (1978) Petrochemical study of Iherzolitic rocks from the Western Alps. J. Petrol. 19, 341-392. 

Direct evidence for metasomatism is derived from petrochemical studies of mantle nodules. Lloyd and Bailey reported on ultramafic nodules from the West Eifel and Southwest Uganda volcanic provinces, and described a series of primary (i.e. unaffected by low-pressure environment) features that include pockets or veins of hydrated minerals (amphibole, mica) or, sometimes, vesicular glass. Based on the textures and on the chemical sequence of the metasomatized nodules they concluded that the mantle portion represented by the nodules was subjected to extensive infiltration of elements, such as K, Na, Fe, Rb, etc. Metasomatic enrichment of mantle rocks was also reported by Boettcher era/.," Erlank era/., Sutherland and Hollis " and many others (see Table 3 in Menzies and Murthy and Menzies ). 

The rotating-disk contactor (RDC), developed in the Netherlands (158) in 1951, uses the shearing action of a rapidly rotating disk to interdisperse the phases (Eig. 15b). These contactors have been used widely throughout the world, particularly in the petrochemical industry for furfural [98-01-1] and SO2 extraction, propane deasphalting, sulfolane [126-33-0] extraction for separation of aromatics, and caprolactam (qv) [105-60-2] purification. Columns up to 4.27 m in diameter are in service. An extensive study (159) has provided an excellent theoretical framework for scale-up. A design manual has also been compiled (160). Detailed descriptions and design criteria for the RDC may also be found (161). 

Alternative feedstocks for petrochemicals have been the subject of much research and study over the past several decades, but have not yet become economically attractive. Chemical producers are expected to continue to use fossil fuels for energy and feedstock needs for the next 75 years. The most promising sources which have received the most attention include coal, tar sands, oil shale, and biomass. Near-term advances ia coal-gasification technology offer the greatest potential to replace oil- and gas-based feedstocks ia selected appHcations (10) (see Feedstocks, coal chemicals). 

Utilisa tion of shale oil products for petrochemical production has been studied (47—51). The effects of prerefining on product yields for steam pyrolysis of shale oil feed and the suitabiUty of Green River shale oil as a petrochemical feedstock were investigated. Pyrolysis was carried out on the whole oil, vacuum distillate, and mildly, moderately, and severely hydrogenated vacuum distillates. 

Most reactors have evolved from concentrated efforts focused on one type of reactor. Some processes have emerged from parallel developments using markedly different reactor types. In most cases, the reactor selected for laboratory study has become the reactor type used industrially because further development usually favors extending this technology. Descriptions of some industrially important petrochemical processes and their reactors are available (74—76). Following are illustrative examples of reactor usage, classified according to reactor type. 

A. Chauvel and co-workers. Manual of Economic Analysis of Chemical Processes Feasibility Studies in Eefining and Petrochemical Processes, McGraw-Hid Book Co., Inc., New York, 1980. 

M. Gans and B. J. Ozero, Hydrocarbon Process. 55(3), 73 (1976) B. DeMaghe, Hydrocarbon Process. 55(3), 78 (1976) D. E. Field and co-workers. Engineering and Cost Study ofAirPollution Controlfor the Petrochemical Industry, Vol. 6, EPA Report No. EPA-450/3-73-006-1, Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, D.C., June, 1975. 

In the petrochemical industry close to 80% of reactions are oxidations and hydrogenations, and consequently very exothermic. In addition, profitability requires fast and selective reactions. Fortunately these can be studied nowadays in gradientless reactors. The slightly exothermic reactions and many endothermic processes of the petroleum industry still can use various tubular reactors, as will be shown later. 

Various experimental methods to evaluate the kinetics of flow processes existed even in the last centuty. They developed gradually with the expansion of the petrochemical industry. In the 1940s, conversion versus residence time measurement in tubular reactors was the basic tool for rate evaluations. In the 1950s, differential reactor experiments became popular. Only in the 1960s did the use of Continuous-flow Stirred Tank Reactors (CSTRs) start to spread for kinetic studies. A large variety of CSTRs was used to study heterogeneous (contact) catalytic reactions. These included spinning basket CSTRs as well as many kinds of fixed bed reactors with external or internal recycle pumps (Jankowski 1978, Berty 1984.)... 

Modem behavior-modification programs rely on the identification and reinforcement of safe behaviors. Considerable improvements in measures of safety performance have been attributed to the introduction of these approaches (see McSween, 1993, for a petrochemical example). However, other studies have indicated that performance may return to its original level if the programs are withdrawn. It is therefore important to maintain a continuing program to ensure that the initial levels of improvements are maintained. Also, the benefits of behavior modification programs have mainly been demonstrated in the context of work activities where there is a high level of... 

Applications of GC X GC can be grouped into the broad categories of qualitative and quantitative studies. By far the more numerous are qualitative studies, and in this group will be included those studies that also pay attention to the retention aspects of GC X GC. By quantitative studies, we take to mean those that involve measurement of peak responses in terms of area or height, and therefore offer the analysis of the relative proportions of the various components. Frysinger and coworkers (37, 38) have primarily studied the use of GC X GC to investigate petrochemical pollution at or around military (naval) bases. These authors have studied... 

Corrosion reactions in aggressive organic solvents are becoming a more frequent occurrence owing to developments in the chemical and petrochemical industries, and these reactions can lead to the deterioration of the metal and to undesirable changes in the solvent. This aspect of corrosion has recently been the subject of an extensive review by Heitz who has considered the mechanisms of the reactions, the similarities between corrt ion in organic solvents and in aqueous solutions, the methods of study and the occurrence of the phenomenon in industrial processes. 

The initial studies of LSDAs were carried out with oleochemicals because of their structural similarity to soap. However, since the molecular structure of an efficient LSDA is characterized by a bulky hydrophilic polar head attached to a long hydrophobic tail, it is also possible to prepare LSDAs from petrochemicals. Sulfated sulfonamide derivatives of alkylbenzenes, such as commercially available detergent alkylates, were synthesized as follows [17] ... 

Although PHAs obtain interest and are widely studied by many researchers, PHAs production is limited by production cost. A major problem to the commercialization of PHAs is much higher production cost than petrochemical-based synthetic plastic (Luengo, 2003). 

Case Study No. 6 Texas Petrochemical Plant 20.7.6.1 Injection-Facility Overview... 

This case study involves an unnamed petrochemical plant located about 15 miles inland from the Texas Gulf Coast, described by Donaldson and Johansen.184 It illustrates two approaches to injecting incompatible wastestreams to prevent well plugging by precipitation surface treatment and multiple injection wells. 

A monthly publication of the Gulf Publishing Company. Another excellent publication that devotes itself to the process and project engineering of refineries and petrochemical operations. It has a flowsheet in every issue its yearly handbook issue gives over 100 processes flowsheets, and its NG, LNG, SNG Handbook issue gives more. It also has very good product studies and an excellent thermodynamics data series. Three times a year it lists all new worldwide construction in the petroleum and petrochemical industry. 

Claims for acute hydrogen sulfide exposure that occurred over a 5-year period (1969-1973) in Alberta, Canada, primarily among petrochemical workers, were reviewed by Burnett et al. (1977). Acute effects noted included coma, disequilibrium, and respiratory insufficiency with pulmonary edema. Of 221 cases, there were 14 deaths. A follow-up study of 250 workers claims for hydrogen sulfide exposure from 1979 to 1983 in Alberta, Canada, found 7 fatalities that usually involved the central nervous and respiratory systems hepatic congestion and cardiac petechiae were also noted (Arnold et al. 1985). The difference in fatality rate (6% down to 2.8%) was attributed to improved first aid training and an increased awareness of the dangers of hydrogen sulfide. 

In a recent retrospective study of spontaneous abortions in a large population of women working in the petrochemical industry in China, Xu et al. (1998) reported a significantly increased risk of spontaneous abortion with frequent exposure to petrochemicals (odds ratio of 2.7 95% Cl 1.8-3.9). When the risk associated with exposure to specific chemicals was examined, exposure to hydrogen sulfide was found to have an odds ratio of 2.3 (95% Cl = 1.2-4.4). 

The industrial case study presented in this section is taken from the petrochemicals industry. The project is in the design phase and as such the design model will be used to determine the design which leads to the minimum capital cost, while using the PIS operational philosophy. For secrecy reasons the example has been modified and the names of the raw materials and products have been changed to the generic form. 

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