A chemical process in the refinery used to convert refinery naptha, which is of low octane levels to high octane reformates, which are components of high octane gasoline (high octane petrol). The process re-arranges or re-structures the hydrocarbon molecule in the naptha feedstock. In the some cases it can break the molecules up. The overall … Continue reading Continuous Catalyst Regeneration (CCR)
Tag: Industry Operations & Practices
Merox
This is an acronym for mercaptan oxidation. This is a proprietary process developed by Universal Oil Products (UOP). It is used by oil refineries and gas processing plants to remove mercaptans from the LPG, propanes, butanes, light naptha, kerosene, and jet fuel by converting then to liquid hydrogen disulfides. The process requires an alkaline environment. … Continue reading Merox
Visbreaker
A visbreaker is a processing unit in an oil refinery whose purpose is to reduce the quantity of residual oil produced in the distillation of crude oil. It also helps to increase the yield of more valuable middle distillates. The visbreaker thermally cracks the large hydrocarbons molecules by furnace heating to reduce the viscosity. This … Continue reading Visbreaker
Alkylation
This process is the transfer of an alkyl group from one molecule to another. In the context of oil refining it refers to the alkylation of isobutene with olefins.In a standard oil refining process isobutane is alkylated with low molecular weight alkenes, in the presence of strong acid catalyst either sulphuric or hydrofluoric acid; the … Continue reading Alkylation
Catalytic Cracking
CRACKING This is the process of breaking down complex long chained molecules into simpler short chained ones. In the oil industry this typically results in the breakdown of organic compounds such as kerogens or heavy hydrocarbons into smaller lighter hydrocarbon molecules. The process usually involves the breaking of the carbon bonds of the longer molecule. … Continue reading Catalytic Cracking
Continuous Distillation
A form of distillation whereby the process continues without interruption. The process produces at least 2 output fractions; one volatile and the other a bottom/residuum fraction. When heated the vapour above the liquid varies in composition from the liquid composition. As the mixture is heated the compounds with lower boiling points rise to the top … Continue reading Continuous Distillation
Steam Jacketed Process Line
This is used when it becomes necessary to keep an internal process at a particular temperature or physical state. The system has two main components an internal process line and an outer line that envelopes the process line. The process line in usually smaller and this is used to allow the free flow of a … Continue reading Steam Jacketed Process Line
A Simple Heat Exchanger
The Boiler
The boiler is essentially a device that is used to generate steam from the heating of water. The boiler will generate heat by means of either electric heaters or the combustion of a fossil fuel such as methane (natural gas). Even though the incoming fluid to be boiled is only water it does not mean … Continue reading The Boiler