Petroleum-refining Methods Available for Wartime Demands

Abstract

Abstract Total global war is making extraordinary demands on the oil industry. Hugequantities of 100-octane gasoline, extreme service lubes, toluene and othermiscellaneous products are required. 100-octane gasoline is blended fromisopentane, base stock, and alkylate. Isopentane is fractionated from naturalor refinery gasoline; but since only limited quantities of base stock can bemade in this way, catalytic cracking is rapidly becoming the major source ofbase stock. Alkylate, the most important component, is synthesized fromisobutane and an olefin. Extraordinary demands are forcing the full utilizationof all present sources and the development of new supplies of feed stocks.Fortunately, the United States finds itself with well-developed processesalready available, and this is true of the manufacture of lubricating oil aswell. Toluene is now being produced by new methods from special cutsfractionated from selected crudes or from catalytically processed naphthas.Designers of refinery equipment are modifying past practices to conserve everybit of material possible. The present world war is making severe demands upon the American petroleumindustry. Not only are large quantities of high-quality fuels and lubricantsrequired but, in addition, the petroleum industry must supply strategiccommodities such as toluene for the manufacture of explosives and stocks forproducing synthetic rubber. The production of these vital raw materials, whichin reality are chemicals, is made possible by years of costly research anddevelopment by the petroleum industry. The vision of its leaders has resultedin the development of a petroleum technology that has expanded the oil businessinto a most highly developed type of chemical industry. This is one of thegreatest assets of our nation in meeting wartime demands. In considering a program of expansion for the manufacture of additionalvital products, the refiner is faced with an amazing variety of processingmethods. Some of the processes involved are well known and are described in theliterature, while others are just reaching the commercial stage and detailshave not been publicly disclosed. This paper will outline certain processingroutes and discuss the general background involved in the selection of refiningmethods. Needless to say, the nature of the subject will not permit detaileddiscussions of refining methods, but certain generalized ideas will bepresented with regard to the related engineering viewed in light of the presentemergency. T.P. 1503