The refining process begins with crude oil. Crude oil is unrefined liquid petroleum, which ranges in shade from yellow to black, and should have a paraffin, asphalt or combined base. Crude oil is composed of hundreds of various chemical compounds referred to as hydrocarbons, all with completely different boiling factors. For instance, a typical crude oil could start to boil at 104 F to provide petroleum gas used for heating and making plastics, and end boiling at larger than 1112 F to provide residuals such as petroleum coke, asphalt and tar.
Crude oil is generally described as sweet or bitter based on its sulfur content, and heavy or light according to its API Gravity. The API Gravity index is a relative measure of weight-the decrease the number, the heavier the material; the higher the number, the lighter the fabric. Whereas there aren’t any exacting definitions for these kinds of crudes, a basic rule of thumb is:
Refining Course of Definitions
Coker Unit: processes vacuum resid, which is heated to over 900 F and put into the coke drums, the place it undergoes thermal cracking because the oil decomposes below the extreme heat. Products embody butane and lighter materials, naphtha for Reforming, turbine and diesel fuel, gasoline oil for Cat Cracking, and gas grade petroleum coke.