The Prediction of Cloud Point Temperature: In Pure Paraffin Deposition

Abstract

Abstract The main object of this paper is to evaluate and discuss the cloud point temperature dependence on the solution nature in the crude oil. A correlation was also developed to predict the cloud point temperature in paraffin precipitation. The cloud point temperature is an important parameter to see weather there will be paraffin precipitation or not. So, we interested on the parameters that affect the cloud point temperature of pure paraffinic hydrocarbons. Therefore, besides literature survey, some experiments on paraffin precipitation and deposition have been performed and evaluated. We mean heavy paraffinic hydrocarbon components by the pure paraffins. Based on our experimental observations, the most important parameters that affect the hydrocarbon cloud point temperature are the apparent molecular weights of solution and solute, and solute weight fraction. These are the basic parameters of our developed correlation. In other words, the correlation is based on the intensive properties of the solution components such as their molecular weights and melting point temperatures, and the extensive properties such as weight fractions. Through the regression process different equations have been used and a complex nonlinear polynomial equation was selected to obtain a correlation which predicts the cloud point temperature with less than 1.8-percent error. This modeled correlation is very simple to use and less time consuming with respect to the other models.