Petroleum Refining

Boiling point:
A characteristic physical property of a liquid at which the vapor pressure is equal to
that of the atmosphere and the liquid is converted to a gas.
Boiling range:
The range of temperature, usually determined at atmospheric pressure in standard
laboratory apparatus, over which the distillation of an oil commences, proceeds, and nishes
Coke:
A gray to black solid carbonaceous material produced from petroleum during thermal
processing; characterized by having a high carbon content (95%+ by weight) and a
honeycomb type of appearance and is insoluble in organic solvents
Coking:
A process for the thermal conversion of petroleum in which gaseous, liquid, and solid
(coke) products are formed
Cracking:
The thermal processes by which the constituents of petroleum are converted to lower
molecular weight products
Cracked residua:
Residua that have been subjected to temperatures above 350 C (660 F) during the
distillation process
Cracking:
A secondary rening process that uses heat and/or a catalyst to break down high
molecular weight chemical components into lower molecular weight products which can be
used as blending components for fuels
Decoking:
Removal of petroleum coke from equipment such as coking drums; hydraulic
decoking uses high-velocity water streams
Delayed coking:
A coking process in which the thermal reaction are allowed to proceed to completion
to produce gaseous, liquid, and solid (coke) products
Flexicoking:
A modication of the uid coking process insofar as the process also includes a
gasier adjoining the burner/regenerator to convert excess coke to a clean fuel gas
Fluid coking:
A continuous uidized solids process that cracks feed thermally over heated coke
particles in a reactor vessel to gas, liquid products, and coke
Catalytic cracking:
The conversion of high-boiling feedstocks into lower boiling products by means of a
catalyst which may be used in a xed bed
Fluid catalytic cracking:
Cracking in the presence of a uidized bed of catalyst
Fractionating column:
A column arranged to separate various fractions of petroleum by a single distillation,
and which may be tapped at different points along its length to separate various fractions in
the order of their boiling points
Gasoline:
Fuel for the internal combustion engine that is commonly, but improperly, referred to
simply as gas
Hydrocracking:
A catalytic, high-pressure, high-temperature process for the conversion of petroleum
feedstocks in the presence of fresh and recycled hydrogen; carbon-carbon bonds are cleaved
in addition to the removal of heteroatomic species
Hydrovisbreaking:
A non-catalytic process, conducted under similar conditions to visbreaking, which
involves treatment with hydrogen to reduce the viscosity of the feedstock and produce more
stable products than is possible with visbreaking
No. 1 Fuel oil:
Very similar to kerosene (q.v.) and is used in burners where vaporization before
burning is usually required and a clean ame is specied.
No. 2 Fuel oil:
Also called domestic heating oil; has properties similar to diesel fuel and heavy jet
fuel; used in burners where complete vaporization is not required before burning.
No. 4 Fuel oil:
A light industrial heating oil and is used where preheating is not required for handling
or burning; there are two grades of No. 4 fuel oil, differing in safety (ash point) and ow
(viscosity) properties.
No. 5 Fuel oil:
A heavy industrial fuel oil which requires preheating before burning.
No. 6 Fuel oil:
A heavy fuel oil and is more commonly known as Bunker C oil when it is used to fuel
ocean-going vessels; preheating is always required for burning this oil
Visbreaking:
A process for reducing the viscosity of heavy feedstocks by controlled thermal
decomposition.