3DG-B32-00007 Petroleum Product Blending

BECHTEL
PROCESS
ENGINEERING DESIGN GUIDE FOR

PETROLEUM PRODUCT BLENDING
3DG B32 007, Rev. 00, 03/31/94
Prepared by: J. P. Poon
Approved by: R. F. Earhart
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page No.
1.0 INTRODUCTION 2
2.0 TYPES OF PUMPS 2
3.0 METHOD 3
4.0 VISCOSITY BLENDING 3
5.0 REID VAPOR PRESSURE (RVP) 3
6.0 FLASH POINT 4
7.0 ANILINE POINT 4
8.0 POUR POINT 4
9.0 FREEZE POINT 5
10.0 SMOKE POINT 5
11.0 OCTANE NO. 5
O:\WINWORD\3DG\B32\007-00.DOC PAGE 1 OF 16
1.0 INTRODUCTION
Refinery products that are produced by blending include gasoline, jet fuel,
diesel fuel and heating oils. lending is necessary for meeting product
specifications such as octane, Reid Vapor Pressure (RVP), viscosity, and
pour point. By blending, extra product from a low value product pool can
be combined with another higher valued product pool thereby increasing
the production of the higher valued product while remaining within
specification. For more complex problems that involve optimizing
production rates, the Process Industry Modeling System (PIMS) program
contains blending routines that can be used.
2.0 SUMMARY
This guide outlines basic procedures and data for calculating the properties
of blended streams. Properties for the blending stocks are usually known
or given. Properties that are not known can be obtained from process
licensers or estimated using correlation’s in the characterization section of
the API Data Book - Petroleum Refining. The blending methods in this
guide were used most recently on the PRI Bintulu Refinery Project.
Product blend properties are calculated using a linear volumetric average

of base component properties. Some properties such as specific gravity
blend linearly with volume. Other properties such as viscosity and RVP
blend non-linearly with volume. Properties that do not blend linearly with
volume have been correlated to a blending index. The blending index is
averaged linearly with volume fraction to give the blending index for the
product blend. From the product blend index obtain the product blend
property. This guide considers non-linear blending properties only. The
following properties are covered:
Reid Vapor Pressure (RVP) Freeze Point

Viscosity Pour Point
Flash Point Smoke Point
Aniline Point Octane No.
3.0 METHOD
Base components are combined to produce a product blend. For example,

Butane MTBE, Isomerate, Alkylate, FCC Gasoline and Reformate are base
components that are combined to produce a gasoline blend. The property
for each base component is obtained from the published data, crude
assays, laboratory measurements and licensors. The property blending
index for each component is obtained from the corresponding tables and
figures. The product blend index is calculated from the base component
blending indices using a linear volumetric average as follows:
PB =  (Xi)(Pi) (1)
Where:
PB = Product blend index

Xi = Liquid volume fraction of base component i
Pi = Property blending index for base component i
The product blend index is then used to find the product blend property in
the corresponding table or figure.
4.0 VISCOSITY BLENDING
Table 1 gives viscosity blending indices as a function of kinematic viscosity.

Viscosities may be expressed in centistokes (cSt), Saybolt Universal
seconds (SUS), or Saybolt Furol seconds (SFS). Viscosities expressed in
centistokes or SUS may be blended at any given temperature provided that
all the base component viscosities are at the same temperature.
Viscosities expressed as SFS must be blended at 122°F only. If SFS
viscosities are provided at any other temperature, they must be converted
to centistokes or SUS before blending.
5.0 REID VAPOR PRESSURE (RVP)
RVP can be blended theoretically using:
(RVP)B =  (Xi)(RVP)i (2)

Where:
Xi = Mole fraction of base component i
(RVP)B = RVP of product blend, psi
(RVP)i = RVP of base component i, psi
However, since molecular weights for the base components are not readily
available, Eq. 2 has limited usefulness. The RVP of the base components
have been correlated to RVP blending indices on a volume basis as shown
in Table 2. The base component RVP indices are averaged linearly using
Eq. 1 to give the product blend index.
6.0 FLASH POINT
Table 3 gives flash point blending indices as a function of flash point. The
base component flash point indices are averaged linearly with volume
using Eq. 1 to give the product blend index.
7.0 ANILINE POINT
Table 4 gives aniline point blending indices as a function of the aniline point
of the base component. The base component indices are averaged
linearly with volume using Eq. 1 to give the product blend index.
8.0 POUR POINT
Pour point blending indices for distillate stocks are given in Table 5. The
indices are correlated against the ASTM 50% temperature and pour point
temperature of the base component. The product blend index must be
related back to the product blend ASTM 50% temperature. The product
blend ASTM 50% temperature is found by taking a linear volumetric
average of the base component ASTM 50% temperatures. This method
applies only to blending of distillates. When distillate is blended into the
resid, the product pour point should be determined by laboratory test.
9.0 FREEZE POINT
The data provided for estimating Freeze point and Freeze point indices are
based on straight run data. Expect large deviations if the data is applied to
cracked stocks.
Figures 1 and 2 are used to estimate the freeze point of straight run stocks
based on ASTM D-86 50% temperatures (Figure 1) or pour point (Figure
2).
Freeze point blending indices can be determined from Figures 3 or 4.

Figure 3 gives the freeze point blending index as a function crude source
and D-86 90% temperature of the base component. Figure 4 gives the
freeze point blending index as a function of freeze point and ASTM D-86
50% temperature of the base component. The product blend index is
calculated using Eq. 1 and is related back to the product blend ASTM D-86
90% temperature (Figure 3) or ASTM D-86 50% temperature (Figure 4).
10.0 SMOKE POINT
Smoke point of a product blend can be estimated using Figure 5. The

smoke point of the blend is determined by the high smoke point and low
smoke point components. Smoke points for the base components can be
estimated using Figure 6 which relates the smoke point to API gravity,
aniline point, and volume percent aromatics.
11.0 OCTANE NO
In general, both octane numbers, RON and MON can be blended linearly
by volume to obtain the octane number for the product for planning and
feasibility studies. However, experience from the refiners indicates that the
blended value for products are slightly different from the actual measured
values. Each refiner such as Chevron and Tosco has developed its own
adjustment values specific to their feedstock and processing scheme.
These values are used to adjust the octane number, for each individual
blending stock or the product blend. These data should be requested from
the client and used if available during initial phase of the project.
Table 1
Viscosity Blending Index Numbers
Table 2
Reid Vapor Pressure Blending Index Numbers

for Gasolines and Turbine Fuels
Table 3
Flash Point Blending Index Numbers (3)
Table 4
Aniline Point Blending Index Numbers
Table 5
Pour Point Blending Indices for Distillate Stocks
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3 - Freezing Point Blending Indexes of Cuts from Crudes
vs ASTM D-86 90% Temperature of Cut
Figure 4 - Freezing Point Blending Chart
Freezing Point vs Blending Index and ASTM D-86 50% Temperature
Figure 5
Figure 6

3DG-B32-00007 Petroleum Product Blending

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Description:

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

3DG-B32-00007 Petroleum Product Blending

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

BECHTEL

ENGINEERING DESIGN GUIDE FOR

2.0 TYPES OF PUMPS 2

4.0 VISCOSITY BLENDING 3

5.0 REID VAPOR PRESSURE (RVP) 3

6.0 FLASH POINT 4

7.0 ANILINE POINT 4

8.0 POUR POINT 4

9.0 FREEZE POINT 5

10.0 SMOKE POINT 5

11.0 OCTANE NO. 5

Product blend properties are calculated using a linear volumetric average

Reid Vapor Pressure (RVP) Freeze Point

Base components are combined to produce a product blend. For example,

PB = Product blend index

4.0 VISCOSITY BLENDING

Table 1 gives viscosity blending indices as a function of kinematic viscosity.

5.0 REID VAPOR PRESSURE (RVP)

RVP can be blended theoretically using:

(RVP)B =  (Xi)(RVP)i (2)

6.0 FLASH POINT

7.0 ANILINE POINT

8.0 POUR POINT

Freeze point blending indices can be determined from Figures 3 or 4.

10.0 SMOKE POINT

Smoke point of a product blend can be estimated using Figure 5. The

Reid Vapor Pressure Blending Index Numbers

Aniline Point Blending Index Numbers

You might also like