Storage & Handling

Crude Oils & Fats

 STORAGE
Where? Why?

• receive large volumes by

ship/train
Crude oil
• buffer for upstream
storage problems
• optimise buying

Bleaching
• match differences in
Intermediate
capacities
storage • buffer for breakdowns

Deodorisation
• match differences in
capacities/working patterns
Refined oil • buffer for breakdowns
storage • tank-car loading
• components storage for
blending
 OIL STORAGE AND HANDLING

• Value loss by:

– Hydrolysis (down grading of triglycerides to free fatty acids)
– Oxidation (reaction with oxygen from air)
– Intermixing (mixing with other types of oil)
– Contamination (mixing with chemicals, impurities)
 HYDROLYSIS
Equilibrium

+ H2O  + FFA

Triglyceride + water  diglyceride + free fatty acid

18 227 - 310

0.1% H2O  1.2 - 1.7 % FFA

Solubility of water in oil:

25 C ( 77 F) - 0.15 %

90 C ( 194 F) - 0.40 %
 HYDROLYSIS

Free fatty acid increase depends on:

- Temperature: doubles per 10 C

- Dissolved water concentration (maximum = saturation)
- Actual FFA
- Time
 HYDROLYSIS
The hydrolysis of Palm Oil saturated with water.
% F F A in crease p er % in itial F F A 2

1.5
37 deg.C
50 deg.C
60 deg.C
1
70 deg.C
80 deg.C
100 deg.C
0.5

Rate of FFA increase

0 increases with
0 2 4 6 8 temperature
T im e (w eeks)
 HYDROLYSIS
Example: cost of hydrolysis of Palm Oil
Crude oil price: 2500 RM/t
Acid oil revenue: 1000 RM/t
4 weeks storage of PO with FFA = 5%

At 60 ºC: FFA increase = 5 x 0.4 = 2 %

Loss = 20 kg/t x RM2.50/kg = RM50/t

At 50 ºC: FFA increase = 5 x 0.2 = 1 %

Loss = 10 kg/t x RM2.50/kg = RM25/t

At 37 ºC: FFA increase = 5 x 0.1 = 0.5 %

Loss = 5 kg/t x RM2.50/kg = RM12.50/t

Storing on average 1000 t of CPO for 4 weeks,

12 times per year leads to a total loss of:

At 60 ºC: RM50/t x 1000 t x 12 = RM600000/a

At 37 ºC: RM12.5/t x 1000 t x 12 = RM150000/a
Difference: RM450000/a
 OXIDATION
Equilibrium

O2 (air)  O2 (oil)  Peroxides  oxidation products

20 %  38 mg/kg  2.4 POV

A peroxide level increase of 1 POV occurs if 16 mg oxygen

reacts completely with 1 kg of oil.
 OXIDATION

Peroxide increase depends on:

- Type of oil (number of double bonds)

- Temperature: doubles per 10 - 15 C
- Oxygen concentration dissolved in oil
- Light: natural & artificial
- Pro-oxidants (e.g. Cu !, Fe, Ni)
- Anti-oxidants (natural & artificial)
- Time
 OXIDATION

Type of oil/ temperature:

Very stable Saturated Coconut, Palm kernel

Stable Oleic Olive, Groundnut, Palm
Sensitive Linoleic Sunflower
Very sensitive Linolenic Soyabean, Rapeseed
Extreme More unsat. Linseed, Fish oil

Compare storage at 50 ºC with storage at 20 ºC

Oxidation rate doubles every 10 ºC

==> At 50 ºC oxidation is 8 times faster than at 20 º C

 Crude oil tank design
•HYDROLYSIS- keep moisture low
No steam blow, leaking coils, rainwater.
•OXIDATION - keep oxygen concentration in oil low
Full tanks, dip-pipe, no Air blow, nitrogen blanket
•OXIDATION - low iron/copper contact
Mild Steel: protect "natural" coating (cleaning)
Stainless Steel coils
Stainless Steel: high FFA, regular cleaning
No Copper (also in alloys)
•TEMPERATURE
Ambient to 10 C > melting point.
Heating by hot water or low pressure steam
Tank insulation
• STIRRING - recommended
+ Keep impurities in suspension
+ Better heat transfer/ more homogeneous temperature
- More oxygen in oil
•INTERMIXING/CONTAMINATION
Segregation, cleaning, previous cargoes
 Tank Design
Vent
Inspection Dip Point
Oil Inlet

Sample

Agitator
Shell Manhole
Heating Coil Inlet/Outlet
Oil Outlet
 Crude oil tank cleaning

• Avoid cleaning (no tank bottoms/bleaching earth)

• Avoid water cleaning in mild steel tanks (new oil coating
only after 4 weeks)
• Manual cleaning (sweeping)
• Flushing with clean oil
• Avoid tank bottoms by stirring (tank bottoms are difficult
to refine but contain 75 % of oil)