LECTURE NOTES ON PETROCHEMICALS FROM OIL REFINING AND CRACKED PETROLEUM

RESIDUES

INTRODUCTION :

The flowcharts shown below indicate the array of some important petrochemicals that can be
synthesised from the cracking of petroleum residues . The technology of the production
processes of some of these important petrochemicals will be examined in the series of these
lectures . They include :-,

1. Base oils - Vaseline ,lubricating oils (lubricants) , coal tar .

2. Methane carbon black , methanol , chloromethanes , bromomethanes , methylene

dichloride,formaldehyde, acetic anhydride ,acetic acid .

3.Ethylene , ethyl alcohol , low - density polyethylene (LDPE) , high - density polyethylene

(H D PE ), ethylene glycol ,isoprene .

4.Propylene (polypropylene) ,isoproprene, acetylene , vinyl chloride .polyvinylchloride ( PVC)

5. Benzene , chlorobenzenes, bromobenzenes , hexane , cyclohexane , cyclohexanol ,

caprolactam ,nylon 6.6 .. Alkylation

6. Products of sulphonation , nitration ,oxidation , amination , ozonolysis ,cyclization .

7. Styrene and polystyrene. Azo-dyes .

In all these production processes , the process chemistry , reaction mechanism, machinery &
equipment in their flowcharts , production parameters ,yield and precautions during production
must be emphasised .

RAW MATERIALS FROM WELL –GASES .

o the rectification column 2 where parafins C1 -C3 are separated . The light fractions are
further separated in column 5 where the condensate is cooled by boiling circulation propane .
The top part the fraction from 4 are boiled , theof that column contains dry gas while the
bottom part contains liquid propane .

The heavy fractions C4-C8 from column 2 is reduced to about 0.8MPa pressure . In column 6 ,
the fraction from C4 are burnt off . and rectified in column 7 .This produces n and isobutane
of 98% (weigFLOWCHART FOR THE SEPARATION OF PARAFINS C1 - C5

[ METHANE, ETHANE,PROPANE,n-BUTANE,ISOBUTANE,ISOBUTNAE,ISOPENTANE)
Figure 1.1 Compressor 2.,5,6-9 Rectification columns 3 Deflegmator 4 Boilers 10 Vent

PROCESS TECHNOLOGY

The above flowchart shows the technological process for the separation of paraffins C I-C5 .
The accompanying crude petroleum (burnt in Nigeria ) is compressed I 1 , then cooled with
water and passed intht).

The liquid fraction in column 6 is further compressed to 0.3 MPa and further rectified in
column 8 where paraffins C5 is separated from higher paraffins . In column 9 isopentane is
separated from normal n-pentane 97-98 % content .

Methane and ethane are further separated as dry gases through cooling with cool propane at
4-4.5 MPa pressure.Yield is 96-97 % .

RAW MATERIALS FROM OIL REFING AND CRACKING OF PETROLEUM RESIDUES .

The following constitute the important raw materials from oil refining and cracked petroleum
products utilisable for petrochemicals production . They are numerous but only a few
important examples out of the thousands will be studied in these lecture series .The
schematic diagrams below illustrate the array from which the examples will be studied from
natural gas , petroleum and coal .
FIGURE 2. BASIC PETROCHEMICALS FROM NATURAL GAS, PETROLEUM AND COAL .

SOURCE : SITTIG (1978) IN AUSTIN (1984), 5 thed,p.729.

PETROCHEMICALS FROM METHANE

SOURCE : McGRAW HILL ENCYCLOPAEDIA OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY, 5 th ed,10,1982,p62.

PETROCHEMICALS FROM ETHYLENE .

SOURCE: McGRAW-HILL ENCYCOLPAEDIA OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY ,5 th ed.vol 10,1982,p63.

PETROCHEMICALS FROM PROPYLENE AND BUTYLENE [McGRAW-HILL ENCYCLOPAEDIA OF
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY ,5th ED. VOL10,1982 ,P67 .]
CYCLIC PETROCHEMICALS .[McGRAW- HILL ENCYCLOPAEDIA OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY,5 th ED.
VOL .10 ,P.67]
GROWTH AND PRODUCTION OF IMPORTANT PETROCHEMICALS IN US