Petroleum Refining

Engineering-II
Course Code: CH802/CH605
By : Asst. Prof. Kangana Desai
Introduction to Course Structure:
❏ 3 Credits
❏ 100 Marks
❏ 30 Marks for Continuous Evaluation
❏ Continuous Evaluation Criteria:
❏ Assignment 10 Marks
❏ Online Test 10 Marks
❏ Presentation 10 Marks
❏ 20 Marks for Mid Semester Examination
❏ 50 Marks for End Semester Examination
❏ 75% attendance is minimum, No relaxation! (except for illness/college event
with proof)
❏ You will not be allowed in class, if you are late.
Importance of this Course:
❏ Petroleum and its refined products are important commodity products
worldwide.
❏ Knowledge of this course will help you understand process aspects of such
products.
❏ This course will help you know the concepts of cracking in petroleum refining.
❏ It will also give you knowledge about environmental aspects of refining as
environmental analysis is very important for our mother nature as well as due
to rules and regulations.
Course Content:
❏ Thermal Cracking
❏ Catalytic cracking
❏ Catalyst, deasphalting and dewaxing processes
❏ Hydrotreating and desulphurization
❏ Environmental aspects of refining
Teaching Planning:

1 Introduction to Thermal Cracking

2 Thermal Cracking processes-Theory

3 Thermal cracking processes-Reaction chemistry

4 Importance of thermal cracking processes

5 Early processes used for thermal cracking

6 Visbreaking process

7 Coking process

8 Process for heavy feedstock

9 Revision session for Unit 1

10 Introduction to catalytic cracking

11 Theory of catalytic cracking

12 Importance of catalytic cracking processes

13 Early processes used for catalytic cracking

14 Fixed bed process

15 Fluid catalytic cracking process

16 Moving bed process

17 Processes for heavy feedstock

18 Catalysts used for catalytic processes

19 Important process parameters for catalytic cracking

20 Doubt clearing session

21 Revision for mid sem

22 Introduction to deasphalting and dewaxing process

23 Theory of deasphalting process

24 Theory of dewaxing process

25 Importance of the deasphalting and dewaxing process

26 Process options for heavy feedstocks

27 Introduction to hydrotreating and desulphurization

28 Theory of hydrotreating and desulphurization

29 Importance of those processes

30 Commercial processes

31 Catalyst used for hydrotreatment and desulphurization

32 Processes for heavy feedstocks

33 Gasoline and diesel fuel polishing

34 Revision for this unit

35 Environmental aspects of refining

36 Environmental rules and regulations

37 Types of refinery wastes

38 Processing of refinery waste

39 Processing of refinery waste

40 Techniques for processing

41 Techniques for processing

42 Environmental analysis

43 Revision of this unit

44 Class test

45 Revision for end sem

Cracking:
❏ Cracking is decomposition of heavier hydrocarbon feedstocks to lighter
hydrocarbon feedstocks.
❏ Dissociation of high molecular weight hydrocarbons into smaller fragments.
❏ Types:
❏ Thermal Cracking : Dissociation of high molecular weight hydrocarbons into smaller fragments
through agency of heat alone is termed as thermal cracking
❏ Catalytic cracking : Cracking can also be conducted in presence of catalysts, and this is
known as catalyst cracking.
Thermal Cracking:
❏ Cracking at elevated temperatures in absence of catalyst.
❏ Thermal cracking operation is performed through giving heat.
❏ It is also known as Pyrolysis.
❏ It proceeds via free radical mechanism.
❏ High molecular weight Hydrocarbons Lower boiling products
❏ Examples: Visbreaking, delayed coking etc.
❏ As cracking being endothermic, external heat is required.
Theory & Chemistry of thermal Cracking
❏ Proceeds via free radical mechanism.
❏ Free radicals are atoms with bare unpaired electrons.
❏ Unpaired electrons of radicals are very active.
❏ Free radicals bring about a series of reactions:
❏ Initiation/radical production:
❏ C6H14 C2H5o + C4H9o
❏ Propagation:
❏ C2H5o + C6H14 C2H6 + C6H13o
❏ C4H9o + C6H14 C4H10 + C6H13o
❏ C4H9o C3H6 + CH3o
❏ Termination:
❏ C2H5o + CH3o C3H8
❏ High molecular weight paraffins fragment when temperature exceeds 400oC.
❏ A molecule of CnH2n+2; where n ranges from and above 25, results in one
saturated molecule and other unsaturated molecule.
❏ All cracking reactions, ultimately give rise to coke and hydrogen.
❏ CnH2n+2 Cn/2 Hn+2 + Cn/2 Hn
❏ In the above reaction, when temperature increases from 400oC, fragmentation
continues to give other products and molecules.
❏ Generally, other reactions appear as follow:
❏ Dehydrogenation of napthenes to aromatics.
❏ Condensation of aliphatic to form aromatics.
❏ Condensation of aromatic to form higher aromatics.
❏ Dimerisation or oligomerisation
Properties of cracked materials:
❏ Depends upon the condition of cracking.
❏ Acquires refractory nature, which is a severe condition for further cracking, so
they are called recycled stocks.
❏ For economic considerations, heavy components from cracked products are
mixed with incoming charge and allowed to crack.
❏ Best way to produce more of the desired low volatile fractions is by cracking
the intermediates obtained in the operation.
❏ Properties change during cracking:
❏ Characterisation factor (Decreases)
❏ Boiling point (Decreases)
❏ Pour point (Decreases)
❏ Viscosity (Decreases)
❏ Unsaturation and aromatisation (Increases)
❏ Octane number (Increases)
❏ Sulfur in cracked products - heavier (Increases) (most of it in form of H2S)
❏ Oxidation Stability (Decreases)
Parameters which govern cracking operation:
❏ Pressure
❏ Temperature
❏ Residence Time