Solvent Extraction process in

petroleum refinery

Dr. Khurram Shahzad

Tabedar Mustafa
RP-16 PG04
CONTENTS
Solvent Extraction
Solvent Extraction in Refinery
Different process in Solvent Extraction
Selection of Solvent
Solvents
Process Descriptions
Solvent Extraction
Solvent extraction is a method for separating compounds
based on their relative solubilities in two immiscible liquids.
It is a process which is used to clean or extract harmful
materials or chemical pollutants.

Principle
The basic principle involved in this method is that a solute
distributes itself in a fixed ratio between two
immiscible solvents
Solvent extraction in refinery
 In refinery solvent extraction process is used to prevent
corrosion, protect catalyst in subsequent processes, and
improve finished products by removing unsaturated,
aromatic hydrocarbons from lubricant and grease stocks.

 The solvent extraction process separates aromatics,

naphthenes, and impurities from the product stream by
dissolving or precipitation. The feedstock is first dried and then
treated using a counter current solvent treatment operation.
Different processes of solvent
Extraction:
 Edeleanu Process
Furfural Process

Edeleanu Process :
This solvent process is the only one that is applied
widely to light distillates such as heavy naphtha,
kerosene, and diesel fuel. At the boiling point of SO2 (
14 F), aromatic and unsaturated hydrocarbons are
completely miscible with liquid SO2 but paraffin and
naphthene hydrocarbons are not.
Cont.

Furfural Process:
The Furfural Refining process is a solvent extraction
process used to remove undesirable components of low
lubricating oil quality naturally present in crude oil
distillate and residual stocks. The unit produces
paraffinic or naphthenic raffinates suitable for further
processing into lube base stocks.
Others process:
• In one type of process, the feedstock is washed with a
liquid in which the substances to be removed are more
soluble than in the desired resultant product.

• In another process, selected solvents are added to

cause impurities to precipitate out of the product

 In adsorption process, highly porous solid materials

collect liquid molecules on their surfaces.
Cont.

• Electric precipitation may be used for separation of

inorganic compounds.

• The solvent is separated from the product stream by

heating, evaporation, or fractionation, and residual
traces amounts are subsequently removed from the
raffinate phase by steam stripping or vacuums
flashing.
Selection of solvent
The selection of solvent depends on the nature of the
feed stock being treated, the contaminants present,
and the finished product requirement.
There are following characteristics that a solvent should
have:
• High solubility of the solute in the solvent but low
solubility or preferably immiscibility with feed solvent.
• Should not be reactive with feed.
Cont..
• Phases should have high density difference.
• High Distribution coefficients.
• Should have low cost.
• Easy and regular availability (no inventory
problem).
• Non-corrosive, non-toxic, and
environmental friendly.
Solvents
 Phenol
 Liquid SO2
 xylene
 benzene
 methyl tertiary -amyl ether (TAME)
 methyl tertiary-butyl ether (MTBE)
 ethyl tertiary-butyl ether (ETBE)
 methyl ethyl ketone (MEK)
  methyl isobutyl ketone (MIBK)
Process Description
There are several general processing steps are involved.

Drying or deaeration:
In charge stock water hinders the action of phenol, and air is
troublesome with gaseous solvents such as sulfur dioxide.

Extraction with solvent:

The countercurrent method of contacting is universally
except for such as special cases as the single contact
sometimes used in propane deasphalting.
Cont..

Separation of bulk of solvent from oil:

This is accomplished by the heating and fractionating or
evaporating. This is usually a simple operation because
the oil and solvent have greatly different boiling points,
but the separation of gasoline and sulfur dioxide is an
exception. A vacuum is used for the highest-boiling
solvent, but a simple atmospheric flash used for
propane.
Purification of oil:
The oil is freed from the last traces of the solvent by
steam stripping or, if water is troublesome, by vacuum
flashing.

Purification of solvent :
This may involve the removal of water as in the case of
furfural method , the separation of solvent from one
another in case several solvents are used, or the
separation of tars, etc.
Process Diagram
 Thank You!
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