DEWAXING OF DISTILLATE OIL FRACTION (400- 500 ºC) USING UREA

Abstract

De-waxing of lubricating oil distillate (400-500 ºC) by using urea was investigated in the present study. Lubricating oil distillate produced by vacuum distillation and refined by furfural extraction was taken from Al-Daura refinery. This oil distillate has a pour point of 34 ºC. Two solvents were used to dilute the oil distillate, these are methyl isobutyl ketone and methylene chloride. The operating conditions of the urea adduct formation with n-paraffins in the presence of methyl isobutyl ketone were studied in details, these are solvent to oil volume ratio within the range of 0 to 2, mixer speed 0 to 2000 rpm, urea to wax weight ratio 0 to 6.3, time of adduction 0 to 71 min and temperature 30-70 ºC). Pour point of de-waxed oil and yield of wax produced were determined to show the effect of these operating conditions. The most favorable operating conditions were solvent to oil volume ratio of 1, mixer speed of 1500 rpm, urea to wax weight ratio of 5, time of adduction of 13 min and temperature of 30-52 ºC.

Keywords

• dewaxing; urea dewaxing; lubricating oil production; wax; paraffin wax; n-paraffin production; extractive crystallization.