Separation of different paraffin wax grades using two comparative deoiling techniques

Abstract

One stage fractional crystallization and solvent percolation techniques have been used to separate different grades of paraffin waxes; with different characteristics; from El-Ameria light, middle and heavy slack waxes. The two deoiling techniques were performed using ethyl acetate and butyl acetate solvents at ambient temperature of 20 °C, at different dilution solvent ratios (S/F by weight) ranging from 2:1 to 8:1 and constant washing solvent ratio of 2:1 for the first technique and at different percolation solvent ratios ranging from 4:1 to 14:1 for the second one. The resulting data revealed that fractional crystallization technique is more suitable for deoiling the heavy slack wax using butyl acetate solvent than the percolation technique. While, percolation technology is a preferable technique using ethyl acetate or butyl acetate solvent for separation of paraffin waxes from light and middle slack waxes.