Continuous On-Stream Analysis of Boiling Characteristics of Petroleum Fractions
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Published:1975
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The Monirex boiling point process stream monitor is an analytical device which continuously and automatically determines and records the boiling characteristics of a process stream. A process sample taken from a flowing sample loop is periodically introduced into a gas chromatographic column which separates hydrocarbons in boiling point order. Column temperature programming is used, and the area under the chromatogram is recorded during the run which takes about three minutes (including column cool down) for gasolines.
Boiling temperatures, as derived from the ASTM Test for Distillation of Petroleum Products (D 86-67) analysis, are assigned to the time axis from calibration runs on previously analyzed prototype samples. Typically, points representing percent over at selected boiling temperatures (elution times) are printed on the recorder chart although the entire ASTM Method D 86-67 boiling curve is generated. Sufficient front-end separation of C3 and C4 compounds is achieved to yield useful data. Continuous storage of control boiling points and calculation options of Reid vapor pressure (RVP) and of quality indexes based on distillation data is available for logging or process control.
Operational and test data from operations on gasoline and middle distillates are presented. Several examples of control systems in which the monitor serves as primary composition transducer are given and use as a laboratory testing device for analysis of discrete samples is described.