Miscellaneous refinery processes

Lubricant base stock and wax processes

Lubricating oils and waxes are refined from various fractions of atmospheric and vacuum distillation.
With the invention of vacuum distillation, it was discovered that the waxy residuum made a better
lubricant than any of the animal fats that were then in use, which was the beginning of modern
hydrocarbon lubricant refining technology, whose primary objective is to remove undesirable products,
such as asphalts, sulphonated aromatics and paraffinic and iso-paraffinic waxes from the residual
fractions in order to produce high-quality lubricants. This is done by a series of processes including de-
asphalting, solvent extraction and separation and treatment processes such as dewaxing and
hydrofinishing. (See figure 18)

Figure 18. Lubricating oil & wax manufacturing process

OIL10F15

In extraction processing, reduced crude from the vacuum unit is propane de-asphalted and combined
with straight-run lubricating-oil feedstock, preheated and solvent extracted to produce a feedstock
called raffinate. In a typical extraction process which uses phenol as the solvent, the feedstock is mixed
with phenol in the treating section at temperatures below 204 C. Phenol is then separated from the
raffinate and recycled. The raffinate may then be subjected to another extraction process which uses
furfural to separate aromatic compounds from non-aromatic hydrocarbons, producing a lighter-
coloured raffinate with improved viscosity index and oxidation and thermal stability.

Dewaxed raffinate may also be subject to further processing to improve the qualities of the base stock.
Clay adsorbents are used to remove dark-coloured, unstable molecules from lubricating-oil base stocks.
An alternate process, lube hydrofinishing, passes hot dewaxed raffinate and hydrogen through a catalyst
that slightly changes the molecular structure, resulting in a lighter-coloured oil with improved
characteristics. The treated lube oil base stocks are then mixed and/or compounded with additives to
meet the required physical and chemical characteristics of motor oils, industrial lubricants and metal-
working oils.

The two distinct types of wax derived from crude oil are paraffin wax, produced from distillate stocks,
and microcrystalline wax, manufactured from residual stocks. Raffinate from the extraction unit
contains a considerable amount of wax, which can be removed by solvent extraction and crystallization.
The raffinate is mixed with a solvent, such as propane, methyl ethyl ketone (MEK) and toluene mixture
or methyl isobutyl ketone (MIBK), and precooled in heat exchangers. The crystallization temperature is
attained by the evaporation of the propane in the chiller and filter feed tanks. The wax is continuously
removed by filters and cold solvent washed to recover retained oil. The solvent is recovered from the
dewaxed raffinate by flashing and steam stripping, and recycled.

The wax is heated with hot solvent, chilled, filtered and given a final wash to remove all traces of oil.
Before the wax is used, it may be hydro-finished to improve its odour and eliminate all traces of
aromatics so the wax can be used in food processing. The dewaxed raffinate, which contains small
amounts of paraffins, naphthenes and some aromatics, may be further processed for use as lubricating-
oil base stocks.

Control of treater temperature is important to prevent corrosion from phenol. Wax can clog sewer or oil
drainage systems and interfere with waste water treatment. The potential exists for exposure to process
solvents such as phenol, propane, a methyl ethyl ketone and toluene mixture or methyl isobutyl ketone.
Inhalation of hydrocarbon gases and vapours, aromatic naphtha containing benzene, hydrogen sulphide
and hydrogen-rich process gas is a hazard.

Asphalt processing

After primary distillation operations, asphalt is a portion of residual matter which requires further
processing to impart characteristics required by its final use. Asphalt for roofing materials is produced by
air blowing. Residual is heated in a pipe still almost up to its flashpoint and charged to a blowing tower
where hot air is injected for a predetermined period of time. The dehydrogen ation of the asphalt forms
hydrogen sulphide, and the oxidation creates sulphur dioxide. Steam is used to blanket the top of the
tower to entrain the contaminants, and is passed through a scrubber to condense the hydrocarbons.

Vacuum distillation is generally used to produce road tar asphalt. The residual is heated and charged to
a column where vacuum is applied to prevent cracking.

Condensed steam from the various asphalt processes will contain trace amounts of hydrocarbons. Any
disruption of the vacuum can result in the entry of atmospheric air and subsequent fire. In asphalt
production, raising the temperature of the vacuum tower bottom to improve efficiency can generate
methane by thermal cracking. This creates vapours in asphalt storage tanks which are in the flammable
range, but not detectable by flash testing. Air blowing can create some polynuclear aromatics (i.e.,
PAHs). Condensed steam from the air blowing asphalt process may also contain various contaminants.