Premium fuels

Most conventional regular and premium fuels have an RON between 90 and 100, while their MON is between 80 and 90. 

The unleaded premium fuels appeared in Europe and France in 1988. In 1993, they represented 40% of the French and 47% of the European Community markets. They are divided into three types. 

A European Directive, 85/210/EEC, limits benzene content to 5% by volume in all gasolines regular, premium, with or without lead. This level is easily achieved, since the average value in 1993 was less than 3%. in France, for example, average benzene concentrations of 1.7% and 2.6% were reported for leaded and unleaded premium fuels, respectively, in 1993. 

LPG has many advantages over the alternative liquid fuels, and is regarded as a premium fuel . Some of the premium characteristics are ... 

Premium Fuel Premium Fuel Premium Fuel By-products By-products By-products By-products By-products By-products... 

Hydroisomerization is one of the few major refinery processes that allow refineries to cope with the future fuel regulations on the one side and the necessity to supply premium fuel with the necessary octane on the other side. Due to the limited volume the chemical industry can cope with in addition to the present level, future reduction of the aromatics in fuels will force the refineries to convert as much of the aromatics as possible to fuel components. One possible option is to feed the one-ring aromatics such as benzene to an isomerization unit. A state of the art hydroisomerization catalyst such as HYSOPAR is very active for benzene hydrogenation at temperatures as low as 100°C, where 100% hydrogenation is achieved, and can cope with up to 15 wt.-% of benzene in the feed. When sulfur in the range of 50 ppm is present in the feed, a partial inhibition of... 

C. The waste plastics are petroleum derived and therefore, provide a hydrocarbon source that can be used for chemical feedstocks. The feedstocks are mixed and processed simultaneously with the dual objective of liquefying the solid waste and upgrading the heavy residue from either the liquefied solid wastes or petroleum oil to the premium fuel oils boiling lower than 500°C. 

Rating index for liquefaction is given in equation (2) which is defined as product of liquid yield and higher heating value of pyrolysis liquids divided by mole of hydrogen required per mole of carbon in biomass liquids for upgrading to premium fuel. 

The stoichiometric hydrogen requirement to upgrade biomass pyrolysis liquids to premium fuels has been calculated through the following relation presented by Chronet and Overend [8] ... 

Natural gas will be the premium fuel for this century for three reasons (1) while we wish to use hydrogen as a fuel, we are economically restricted from obtaining it by reforming light hydrocarbons (with attendant inefficiencies) until we learn to efficiently electrolyze water, (2) gas bums cleanly, causes few pollution problems and, relative to oil or coal, produces less carbon dioxide, and (3) liquid fuels are better used as feedstocks for petrochemicals. 

Wood is not a premium fuel. It is bulky to transport, difficult to handle unless ehipped, and is of moderate ealorific value. Its energy per unit volume is low obviously denser timbers eontain more woody material and therefore have a higher energy eontent per unit volume. Traditionally it is used for raising process steam and heating, mainly by the forest industries, and in domestic stoves. 

Coal ash is not always a deleterious material for a process. In coal liquefaction, it has been observed that the rate is increased in the presence of pyrite. In gasification, the rate is increased in the presence of alkalies. There is limited data available on the effects of materials on combustion. Although interest in synthetic fuels from coal is quite limited at present, there is an interest in developing the technical capability to permit the production of more premium fuel types from less desirable ones. The conversion of solid coal to liquid fuels has been a very demanding process in terms of the pressures and, to some extent, the temperatures that have been used. Catalysts have been required in all cases. The catalysts have been poisoned by the sulfur and other species in the mineral matter. As a result, catalyst costs and replacement rates can be quite high. A cheap, naturally occurring catalyst that came with the coal would be of significant interest. Pyrite seems to be such a material. 

Second are those products which while having chemical uses are primarily fuels (used in an impure state) and are therefore usually priced in a direct relationship with their value as a premium fuel. Toluene and xylene both fall in this category, and their pricing tends to depend on their gasoline blending values. 

Fourth are those chemicals whose pricing is usually set in a fuels refinery context because chemical uses are small relative to fuels use. These chemicals are subject to pricing fluctuations because of a complex relationship to premium fuel values. Propylene in the United States is clearly in this category. 

Since most of the petrochemicals from the petrochemical refinery scheme have values in the U.S. which are so intimately involved with premium fuel values and have price trends which are buffered by fuel refinery requirements and economics, the petrochemical refinery must be considered in an oil industry context. 

Convert all problem by-products and other available recycle or intermediate streams to high value, large volume, protected market, premium fuels—t.e., gasoline or jet fuel. 

Table VIII shows the change in cracking furnace feed composition as we step up the series. In Case 04 this feed was composed of high value fuels components to the extent of 56%. In Case 07 no premium fuel fractions were cracked.

There are different octane rating requirements for "regular" and "premium" gasolines. You may be able to observe differences in the composition of these two types of fuels. You should pay particular attention to increases in the proportions of those hydrocarbons that raise octane ratings in the premium fuels. 

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