Propane De-Waxing Unit

Rachit Kedia
R010207042
B.Tech Applied Petroleum Engineering (Downstream)
Purpose
Propane De-Waxing Unit is a section of the Lube
Refinery.

Used to remove wax from the raffinate streams

received as the feed from the Solvent Extraction Unit.

Also used to control the pour point of the Lube Oil

Base Stocks (LOBS).
Pour Point
Pour Point is the lowest temperature at which the oil
ceases to flow when the temperature is being
continuously reduced.

Used to find the temperature at which the sample of

oil becomes sufficiently solid to prevent its movement
by pumping.

Also indicates the waxy nature of oils.

Flow Diagram
Process Details
Raffinate stream from the Solvent Extraction Unit is
mixed with a de-waxing agent upstream of the steam
heater.
The stream is then passed into a heat exchanger where
it exchanges heat with the de-waxed oil (DWO) stream
from the rotary filter.
Propane is added to the feed stream which acts as an
auto-refrigerant and then the mixture of raffinate feed,
de-waxing agent and the propane solvent enter a
rotary filter.
Rotary Filter
Process Details Contd…
The DWO received from the rotary filter is heat
exchanged with the feed stream and then passed into a
heater increasing its temperature to about 490 degree
centigrade.
The highly heated DWO stream enters a DWO
evaporator where the propane solvent is removed from it
and we get the final finished product.
Meanwhile, the second stream from the filter is the slack
wax which is passed into a slack wax evaporator where
again the propane is recovered from the slack wax.
De-waxing Agents
Helps to form proper crystals.
Helps to increase filtration rate.
Helps to reduce oil content in slack wax.
Helps to improve DWO yield.

Commonly Used Agents:

Lubtran
Lubran AD
Viscoplex 145
Thank You