Determination of Wax Content in Egyptian Crude Oils

Determination of Wax Content in Egyptian Crude Oils

  IJETT-book-cover  International Journal of Engineering Trends and Technology (IJETT)          
  
© 2014 by IJETT Journal
Volume-8 Number-2                          
Year of Publication : 2014
Authors :  Prof.Dr.Ramadan Abu El-Ella , Dr.Ehssan Nassef
  10.14445/22315381/IJETT-V8P218

Citation 

Prof.Dr.Ramadan Abu El-Ella , Dr.Ehssan Nassef."Determination of Wax Content in Egyptian Crude Oils ", International Journal of Engineering Trends and Technology(IJETT), 8(2),93-97 February 2014. ISSN:2231-5381. www.ijettjournal.org. published by seventh sense research group

Abstract

Wax precipitation is one of the most important flow assurance problems. Unfortunately, experimental data are very scarce to confirm existing models for prediction of such production impairment and other hazardous risk; while its curative approaches and production losses add to colossal economic sabotage to the petroleum industry. The present work deals with studying the determination of wax in Egyptian crude oil by gravimetric determination precipitation with lowering temperature of the crude oil .The crude oil studied was from Egyptian western desert (waxy paraffinic crude). Waxes may precipitate due to a temperature decrease because their solubility is so low that a solid phase can appear. The experiments investigated the effect of initial weight of the crude, the time of cooling, and the temperature on the amount of wax produced. The highest amount of wax was produced with 150gm of the crude oil, at temperature of 0oC and this was done within two hours of the time of experiment. Finally the effect of using solvent on the amount wax content was also studied and it was found that the ratio (3:1) of solvent mixture increases achievement of the maximum amount of wax produced.

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Keywords
Fractional precipitation, Wax, crude oil, paraffins, Temperature.