Crude Oil Refining – Part 2

Question 1

The typical gasoline composition percentage of hydrocarbons (% volume) is as follows:

Answer 1

4-8% alkanes;
2-5% alkenes;
25-40% isoalkanes;
3-7% cycloalkanes;
1-4% cycloalkenes;
and 20-50% total aromatics (0.5-2.5% benzene).

Question 2

It defined as the percentage by volume of iso-octane in a mixture of iso-octane and n-heptane that knocks with some intensity as the
fuel is being tested.

Answer 2

research octane number (RON)

Question 3

conversion of heavy naphtha to aromatic and iso-paraffin which have high RON.

Answer 3

Catalytic reforming

Question 4

light straight paraffins transform to branched chain to increase RON.

Answer 4

Catalytic Isometrization

Question 5

Upgrade heavy low-value streams to higher value products.

Answer 5

Cracking

Question 6

high temperatures (typically in the range of 450°C to 750°C)
and pressures (up to about 70 atmospheres) are used to break the large hydrocarbons into smaller ones.

Answer 6

thermal cracking,

Question 7

mild thermal cracking

Answer 7

Visbreaking

Question 8

There are two types of visbreakers:

Answer 8

• coil visbreaking (furnace)
• soak visbreaking (soak drum)

Question 9

is a type of thermal cracking in which the heat required to complete the coking reactions is supplied by a furnace,

Answer 9

Delayed coking

Question 10

Moderate thermal cracking. Produces petcoke

Answer 10

Coking

Question 11

is the heart of the refinery and is
where heavy low-value petroleum stream such as vacuum gas oil (VGO) is upgraded into higher value products,

Answer 11

fluidized catalytic cracking (FCC)