CLASSIFICATION OF PETROLEUM

• 1- Based on hydrocarbon composition:

• A) paraffinic base.
• B) Naphthenic base
• C) Intermediate base
• If asphaltene content is so high, it could be considered
asphaltene base
• If aromatic content is so high, it could be considered
aromaic-base
 Fraction NO1: 250-275 C
Fraction NO2: 275-300 C
KEY FRACTION, API CRUDE OIL BASE

NO. 2 NO. 1
30 40 PARAFFINIC
20-30 33-40 INTERMEDIATE
20< 33< NAPHTHENIC
 CLASSIFICATION OF PETROLEUM

• 2- Based on sulfur content:

• If sulfur content is high---- sour crude
If sulfur content is low---- sweet crude

• 3- Based on density:
• If it has low density----light crude
• If it has high density----heavy crude
 COMPOSITION OF Crude Oil (C.O.)
And PETROLEUM
Products
reference: PETROLEUM REFINING V.1: Crude Oil. Petroleum
Products. Process Flowsheets
Jean-Pierre Wauquie
-Specific gravity varies inversely with
its H/C atomic ratio.

- sp.gr for C.O. ranges 0.7----1

- API: 70-----5

Composition of chemical families very

different from each other
 COMPOSITION OF Crude Oil
(C.O.) And PETROLEUM
Products
Pure components:

• It is a mixture of pure components

• ---extremely numerous
• ----so, we deal with hydrocarbon families.
(pure component has a definite boiling
point, but mixture has an average boiling
range)
COMPOSITION OF PETROLEUM
• 1- HYDROCARBONS
• Contains only carbon and hydrogen

• Grouped into different families Acc structure.

• Linked by single bonds (saturated)(anes)

• Linked by multiple bonds (un-saturated)
(enes and ynes)
 COMPOSITION OF
PETROLEUM
• 1- saturated aliphatic hydrocarbons
(Paraffins or alkanes)
(CnH2n+2)
• Paraffins could be:
• Gases; C1-C4 (in associated gases)

• Liquids; C5-C15 (in gasoline, kerosene, diesel

fuel)

• Solids; C16+ (waxes)

 saturated aliphatic
hydrocarbons
• Straight Chain of carbon atoms carrying 0-3
H except methane.

• B.P. increase with number of C atoms

• For low C atoms, B. P. increase by 25 by

addition of 1 C

• Isoparaffins have BP lower than n-paraffins

 Saturated cyclic HC
cycloparaffins or Naphthenes
CnH2n (for single ring)
• Contains a ring in all or part of its
construction.

• BP and density higher than alkanes

• In C.O., ring have 5-6 C atoms

 Aromatic Hydrocarbons
(CnH2n-6)
• Cyclic and polyunsaturated (high conc.
In C.O

• Benzene, toluene, xylenes are basic

raw material for petrochemical
industry.

• basic pattern of aromatics

 Aromatic Hydrocarbons
(CnH2n-6)
• Hydrogen atoms could be substituted
by the following manner:
• - By alkyl group:,(dimethyle bezene)
orthoxylene, metaxylene, paraxylene
• - By other aromatics
(naphthalene, anthracene)
• By naphthenic ring
(tetralin)
 Unsaturated aliphatic HC
olefins or alkenes
• Involve one or more double bonds between C
atoms

• Have many isomers

• There are little or no olefins in crude oil or

straight run products.

• The first few compounds are very important

raw material for petrochemical industry.
Non Hydrocarbon Compounds
 Heteroaromatic organic
compounds
• 1- SULFUR COMPOUNDS
• Sulfur conc. Ranges from 0.1 to 8wt%
Inorganic forms:
Elemental sulfur, S---hydrogen sulfide, H2S---
carbonyle sulfide--COS
Organic molecules:
Sulfides R-S-R --- Disulfides R-S-S-R (in light
factions)---Thiols or Mercaptans, R-SH
(acidic characteristics)---thiophenes, (in
frctions boiling over 250C)
 Problems of sulfur compounds

• - Unpleasant odor

• - SO2 formed by combustion

• - Catalyst poisoning
 Heteroaromatic organic
compounds
2 - Oxygen COMPOUNDS

Responsible for petroleum acidity

Could be found in the following
compounds:
- Phenols
- Furanes and benzofuranes
- Carboxylic acids RCOOH
- Esters RCOOR’
 Heteroaromatic organic
compounds
3 - Nitrogen COMPOUNDS (in frctions
boiling over 250C; concentrated in
resins and asphaltene)

Could be found in the following forms:

- Saturated or aromatic amides
- Amines.. R-NH2, R-NH-R’, R-N-R’
R’’
- Carbazoles
- Pyridines
 Problems of nitrogen compounds

• - Pyridines with basic nitrogen are

responsible for poison to acid catalysts

• - Could appear in light cuts (from

cracking) causing instability in storage,
brown color and gums
 Organometallic compounds
• Found in the heaviest fractions

• Metal atoms such as nickel and

vanadium are found

• Poison catalyst