Distillation Characteristics and Compositional Analysis of Arabian Light Straight Run Naphtha

Abstract

Straight run naphtha is a basic constituent of refined petroleum products. It consists mainly of aliphatic hydrocarbons along with small amounts of naphthenic and aromatic hydrocarbons. It has a wide boiling range between 95°F and 410°F. Currently, its main utilization is as gasoline blend, however, naphtha is a potential feedstock for the production of various petrochemicals. Continuous catalytic reforming of naphtha can produce aromatic compounds in amounts up to 70% of the reformat. Nevertheless, the catalytic reforming process is usually associated with various limitations that may be related to the wide-ranging composition of naphtha. In this study straight run naphtha derived from Arabian Light crude oil was fractionated, and the hydrocarbon composition of its different distillation cuts was determined. The results indicate that, straight run naphtha can be split into two main fractions. A light fraction boiling between ambient temperature and 225°F, consists mainly of ell and a medium heavy fraction boiling between 225°F and 335°F, consists mainly of C/+). Detailed distillation characteristics, along with compositional analysis of SRN seems to be useful for diversifying its processing technologies, and upgrading currently applied processing practices to yield various high-value products and petrochemicals feed stocks. 915