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6. Distillation

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2.1. Crude oil distillation curve

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2.1. Crude oil distillation curve

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2.1. Crude oil distillation curve

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2.1. Crude oil distillation curve

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2.1. Crude oil distillation curve

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2.1. Crude oil distillation curve

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2.1. Crude oil distillation curve

1. For the heavy crude (the curve that starts off higher because it has very little light stuff in
it), start from the vertical axis at 315ºF and intersect the distillation curve, going right to
point A. Going down from point A hits 26% on the horizontal axis. That is the amount that
will have boiled off before any kerosene boils off.

2. Now start at 450ºF and intersect the same distillation curve, going right, at point B, which is
42% on the horizontal axis. That is the amount that has boiled off when kerosene stops
boiling off.

3. Calculate the cumulative percent volume from the initial boiling point of the kerosene to the
end point: 42% – 26% = 16%. The heavy crude contains 16% kerosene.

4. Now do the same procedure for the light crude and find that there is 66.5% – 48.5% = 18%.

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2.1. Crude oil distillation curve

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2.1. Crude oil distillation curve

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2.2. Cut points

• The temperatures at which the various distilling products are separated

• The temperature at which a product (or cut or fraction) begins to boil is called the initial
boiling point (IBP)
• The temperature at which it is 100% vaporized is the end point (EP)
• So every cut has two cut points, the IBP and the EP

• EP of naphtha is the IBP of kerosene

• At a cut point, the EP and IBP of the
two adjacent cuts are the same, at
least nominally

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2.2. Cut points

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2.2. Cut points

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2.3. Distilling column

Crude oil feed to the distilling column

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185

2.3. Distilling column

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2.3. Distilling column

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2.3. Distilling column

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2.3. Distilling column

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2.3. Distilling column

• Vapor leaving plate, yn

• Liquid leaving plate, xn
• Vapor entering plate, Yn+1
• Liquid entering plate, xn-1

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2.3. Distilling column

• Vapor leaving plate, yn

• Liquid leaving plate, xn
• Vapor entering plate, Yn+1
• Liquid entering plate, xn-1

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2.3. Distilling column

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