TABLE OF CONTENTS

TITTLE

PAGES

1.0

ABSTRACT/SUMMARY

2.0

INTRODUCTION

3.0

AIMS/OBJECTIVE

4.0

THEORY

4
4

5.0

PROCEDURES

6.0

APPARATUS

7.0

RESULT

8.0

DISCUSSION

9.0

CONCLUSIONS

10.0 RECOMMENDATIONS

11
12

11.0 REFERENCES

13

12.0 APPENDICES

14

1.0 ABSTRACT/ SUMMARY

This experiment is run to determine cloud point and pour point of oil by
using cooking oil and biodiesel as the samples. Besides, it is also to determine
the fluidity of residual fuel oil at a specified temperature in a received condition.
This experiment is run by using the cooling bath. Both samples are placed
in a cooling bath at specific temperature. At every decrease 1oC the test jar must
take out to determine whether there is present of wax or not.
When the wax start to present at the bottom of the test jar, the test jar is
taken out and the temperature is recorded as cloud point. After that, they are
placed back into the cooling bath to determine the temperature where the pour
point starts to take place.
When the oil becomes more viscous and there is no significant movement
of oil, the temperature at that time is assumed as a pour point.
In brief,
1) Cloud point is the temperature at which a cloud of wax crystals first
appears in a liquid when it is cooled under specified condition.
2) Pour point is the temperature at which oil becomes semi solid and loses
its flow characteristics.

2.0 INTRODUCTION
2

CLOUD POINT
Basically, in cloud point experiment, it wants to prove it that at certain
low temperature crystals of paraffin form in fuels imposing restrictions to its
use. So, in another word, cloud point are defined as the temperature at which the
cloud or haze of wax crystal appear at the bottom of test jar when it cooled
under prescribed conditions. By the ways, the significance of this experiment is
act as indication of the temperature at which the oil when passing through the
filter, the suspended wax crystal would be liable to collect on the filtering
device and retard the flow of oil. So, in oil and gases field industry, this
phenomenon occurs in pipeline as the example.

Next for the purpose of launching this pour point experiment, is basically
to determine the minimum temperature of the oil which will continue flow when
it is cooled. Besides that, it is an indication which the oil is readily pumped able.
Besides that, it also defines as the lowest temperature at which the oil just fails
to flow when cooled and examined under prescribed conditions. Pour point is
the point where the point of oil no longer can moves anymore in pipeline as
example.

3.0 OBJECTIVE
3

To determine of a fluidity of residual fuel oil at a specified temperature in

an as received condition, this is to determine the cloud point and pour point for
cooking oil and biodiesel.

4.0 THEORY
CLOUD POINT
The cloud point is defined as the temperature at which the cloud or haze
of wax crystals appear at the bottom of test jar when cooled under prescribed
conditions. The significance of this test is that it gives an indication of the
temperature at which the oil when passing through a filter, the suspended wax
crystals would be liable to collect on the filtering device and retard the flow of
oil.

POUR POINT
Pour point of oil is defined as the lowest temperature at which the oil just
fails to flow when cooled and examined under prescribed conditions. The
significance of this test it gives an indication of storage temperature to make oil
free flow.

In brief:
4

Cloud Point and Pour Point are two important physical properties of any fuel or
lubricant.
While cloud point refers to the temperature at which there is a presence of a
wax cloud in the fuel,
Pour point is the lowest temperature at which the fuel can flow and below which
the fuel tends to freeze or ceases to flow.
In cold weather conditions, certain additives are added to the fuel to keep its
pour point and cloud point higher.

5.0 PROCEDURE
5

1)

The cooking oil is poured at approximately half full of the test jar.

2)

The cork carrying thermometer is placed on top of the glass jar. Make

sure that it fits perfectly and the thermometer bulb is adjusted so that it
immersed slightly below the crude oil level.
3)

The disc is placed inside the cooling bath, and the gasket is placed around

the test jar. Never place the jar directly into the cooling medium.
4)

At every decrease of temperature of 1Celsius, the test jar is taken out and

being checked if there is cloud present. Then the test jar is quickly placed back
into the position.
5)

The reading of the thermometer is recorded when the cloud starts to form.

6)

Then the experiment is continued for pour point of the sample.

7)
At every decrease of 1Celsius, the jar is removed and tilted to see any
surface movement of the oil.
8)
When the oil being tilted and it did not move, the oil is positioned in a
horizontal position for 5 seconds.
9)
The temperature at which it froze is recorded. That determined the pour
point.
10)

Then the experiment is repeated using bio diesel.

6.0 APPARATUS
6

Cooking oil, Bio diesel, Cork, Thermometer, Gasket, Flat-bottomed test jar,
Disc

7.0 RESULT : CLOUD POINT AND POUR POINT

Time (s)

Temperature of
methanol (C)

Temperature of
cooking oil (C)

Temperature of
biodiesel (C)

13

25

17

360

-3

16

17

600

-9

12

14

787

-14

13

1235

-23

13

Cooking Oil

Biodiesel

Cloud Point (C)

17

Pour Point (C)

14

GRAPH FOR THE RESULT

Cloud point and Pour point

18
16
14
12

TEMPERATURE (C)

10
8
6
4
2
0
CLOUD POINT

9.0 DISCUSSION:

COOKING OIL
BIO DIESEL

Compare the cloud point and pour point based on the theory and your

result?
Based on the theory, cloud point is always higher than pour point, but it is
possible that the pour point for biodiesel is higher than cloud point which is 1
C and -1C respectively. This is because of crystallization properties of
biodiesel. In this case, the biodiesel may solidified at 1C to 2C before the
cloud point. According to our experiment, the cloud point is 17C whereas pour
point is 14C. This shown that there are some errors during conduct the
experiment.
Based on the theory, the cloud point is 6C to 12C whereas the pour point is
-122?. While based on our result, the cloud point is 9C and the pour point is
4C. This shown that our result is same with the theory.

Why we use methanol instead of water and state the function of the

gasket?
In our experiment, we use methanol instead of water because water in zero
degree Celsius will totally change into ice which means at that point water
undergo freezing point. It differ with methanol that have freezing point more
higher than water means that methanol can withstand until -32 degree Celsius.
The functions of gasket are to prevent the glass jar from break and to constant
the temperature.

State the error and the ways to overcome it.

Human error
9

During the experiment, the glass jar is being taken out from SETA cloud and
pour point machine to observe the change of the sample for a long time. It will
affect the reading of temperature. So, to overcome the problem, we must
immediately place the glass jar into the SETA after the observation.

Experimental error

Thermometer is not placed near the bottom of the glass jar. It should be placed
1cm above from the bottom of glass jar. It is because the heat will transmitted
from the bottom to the top. So, when thermometer is placed about 1cm from the
bottom of glass jar, the thermometer will give the accurate reading.

Parallax error

Our eye is not perpendicular to the thermometer scale and it will affect the
reading. To overcome it, ensure that our eye must be perpendicular to the
thermometer scale.

10.0 CONCLUSION

10

It is shown that this experiment is basically to prove it or show it up to

the others how phenomenon of cloud point and pour point occur in accurate
temperature and time. So, through this experiment we can know and predict at
what point of temperature the cloud point occur in real oil and gas field
industry. As we know from the experiment that act as model are the cloud point
is the point where unexpected crystal or wax appear to form a rings when in
certain cooled temperature. If we let the wax from become more thick it will
lead to clot it a pipeline as example, pour point, where this clot occur and cause
the crude oil will be stuck. So, pour point is the crucial point that can cause
damage.

11.0 RECOMMENDATION

11

The test jar should not touch the jacket. To achieve it, we need to place

the cork disk at the bottom of the jacket and using a ring gasket around the test
jar. It is to avoid test jar touch the wall of jacket and can cause the direct
cooling.

The stopwatch should be started when the temperature of cooling bath

start to going down from 10 C

The timing of the stopwatch should be pause when the test jar is taken out

from the cooling bath to get the accurate result.

When the oil has been cooled enough to allow the formation of wax

crystals, take great care not to disturb the mass of oil since any disturbance of
wax crystals will lead to low perfect result.

When the separation of the wax crystal start, great care should be taken

not to disturb the mass of the oil. Even the thermometer should not move in the
oil because any disturbance will delay the solidification of oil sample and not
accurate result will be obtained.

Bring the oil to be tested to a temperature at least 25F above the

approximate cloud point.

In determining the pour point, the operation of removal and replacement

of test jar should not be more than 3 seconds.

During taking the reading of thermometer, make sure the eyes are

perpendicular with the thermometer reading.

12.0 REFERENCES

12

 William D. McCain,Jr. (1999) .The Properties Of Petroleum Fluid.

Oklahoma,USA. PennWell. 40-41

Charles F. Conaway . (1999) . The Petroleum Industry,A nontechnical

Guide .Oklahoma. PennWell Publishing Company
http://books.google.com.my/books?
id=I5RXlnZLQycC&pg=PA90&lpg=PA90&dq=theory+of+pour+point&
source=bl&ots=p_eE3cs79e&sig=McO3b2yuOjtUumju7N2lzyQW77Y&
hl=en&sa=X&ei=idQyU9edNMuSrgeBxIDYCg&redir_esc=y#v=onepag
e&q=theory%20of%20pour%20point&f=false
http://faculty.ksu.edu.sa/shomoud/Laboratory%20Manual/PETROLEUM
%20PRODUCTION.pdf

13.0 APPENDICES

13


Cloud point of cooking oil.

Pour point of cooking oil.

Cloud or haze of wax crystals

Cloud of wax crystal appear at

appear at the bottom of test jar

of height of oil sample.

Oil sample more viscous

Pour point of Bio-Diesel

Reference Books
14

William D. McCain,Jr. (1999) .The Properties Of Petroleum Fluid.

Oklahoma,USA. PennWell. 40-41

Charles F. Conaway . (1999) . The Petroleum Industry,A nontechnical

Guide .Oklahoma. PennWell Publishing Company

15