JAMORA, EISHERIEL MHAE A.

PETROLEUM
CHEMICALS
PETROCHEMICALS
Petroleum chemicals are
derived from petroleum
products and natural
gas in increasing amounts.
EARLY HISTORY OF PETROCHEMICALS

1 Founding of Petrochemical Industry

The petrochemical industry emerged in the 19th century, initially focusing
on the production of dyes and other chemical products. This marked the
genesis of petrochemicals, laying the foundation for their widespread use
today.

2 Expansion into Plastics

Early in the 20th century, the industry began to expand its focus to the
production of plastics, revolutionizing manufacturing and consumer
products, and reshaping various sectors, including packaging and textiles.

3 Post-World War II Growth

The post-World War II period led to a surge in petrochemical production
capacity, driven by advancements in technology and the discovery of
new petrochemical compounds.
 Technological Advancements in
Petrochemical Production
Early to Mid-20th 1930s Onward 1930s - 1940s
Late 19th Century
Century
Distillation Cracking Polymerization Aromatics
Production
•Process: Crude oil is heated •Process: The polymerization
•Process: Thermal and catalytic
in a distillation column to process was developed to link •Process: Aromatic
cracking processes were
separate it into different together small molecules, compounds like benzene,
developed to break down
fractions based on boiling creating long-chain polymers. toluene, and xylene were
heavier hydrocarbons into
points. •Products: Polyethylene and produced Products:
lighter ones, including olefins
•Products: Distillation yields polypropylene, among others, Aromatics serve as key
like ethylene and propylene.
fractions like gasoline, diesel, feedstocks for the
•Products: Ethylene and became commercially viable
kerosene, and lubricating and revolutionized the plastics production synthetic fibers
propylene are key building
oils. industry. and resins.
blocks for various
petrochemicals, including
plastics.
 Technological Advancements in
Petrochemical Production
Late 20th Century
World War II 1950s Onward Onward
2010s Onward

Synthetic Rubber Olefins Production Shale Gas Olefins Production

•Process: Advancements in Revolution
•Process: The demand for catalytic cracking and other
synthetic materials during •Process: The extraction •Process: The extraction and
technologies led to more utilization of shale gas, rich in
World War II spurred the efficient production of olefins, and utilization of shale gas,
development of processes rich in ethane and ethane and propane, provided a
particularly ethylene and new source of feedstock for the
for producing synthetic propylene. propane, provided a new
rubber from petrochemical source of feedstock for the petrochemical industry.
•Products: Ethylene and •Products: Increased production
feedstocks. propylene are versatile petrochemical industry.
•Products: Synthetic rubber •Products: Increased of ethylene and propylene from
monomers used in the shale gas, influencing global
production of various plastics production of ethylene and
propylene from shale gas petrochemical production
and chemicals. patterns.
Physical Changes

separation
operations

MANUFACTURE
OF REFINING
Chemical Changes

conversion
processes
 SEPARATION
OPERATIONS
Fluid Flow Heat Transfer Distillation Absorption

Adsorption Filtration Extraction

SEPARATION
OPERATIONS
FLUID FLOW
The fluid flow separation process
in petroleum chemical
engineering typically involves
separating various components
of a fluid mixture, such as crude
oil or natural gas, based on their
physical properties.
FLUID FLOW
A. CRUDE OIL DESALTING
Crude oil often contains saltwater, which needs to be removed before further processing.

Desalting involves mixing the crude oil with water and adding demulsifying agents to

separate the water and salt from the oil.

FLUID FLOW
A. CRUDE OIL DESALTING
FLUID FLOW
B. Water Separation
During various processes, water can

become mixed with hydrocarbons.

Separation techniques such as

gravity settling, centrifugation, or

filtration are used to separate water

from hydrocarbons.
FLUID FLOW
B. Water Separation
During various processes, water can

become mixed with hydrocarbons.

Separation techniques such as

gravity settling, centrifugation, or

filtration are used to separate water

from hydrocarbons.
HEAT TRANSFER
In petroleum chemical engineering, heat transfer
processes play a crucial role in various separation
operations.

These processes involve the transfer of heat from

one medium to another, facilitating separation
based on temperature differences or phase
changes.
HEAT TRANSFER
A. Heat Exchangers

Heat exchangers play an important role in the quality of petrochemical products, the
utilization of heat, and the economy and reliability of the system.

For instance, they are used to preheat feedstocks, cool product streams, or maintain
specific temperatures within reactors to optimize reaction rates and product quality.
HEAT TRANSFER
A. Heat Exchangers
DISTILLATION
Distillation is one of the most fundamental and
widely used unit operations in petroleum chemical
engineering.

It plays a crucial role in separating various

components of crude oil and other hydrocarbon
mixtures based on their differing boiling points.
ABSORPTION
Absorption is a crucial unit operation in
petroleum chemical engineering,
particularly in the purification of gases and
the removal of impurities from process
streams.

It involves the transfer of one or more

components from a gas or liquid phase
into another liquid phase.
ADSORPTION
Adsorption is another important unit operation in
petroleum chemical engineering, particularly in
the purification and separation of gases and
liquids.

It involves the adhesion of molecules from a fluid

phase onto a solid surface, known as an
adsorbent.
ADSORPTION
FILTRATION
Filtration is indeed an essential
unit operation in petroleum
chemical engineering, primarily
used for separating solid
particles from liquid or gas
streams.

Solid-Liquid Separation: Filtration is

used extensively in petroleum chemical
processes for separating solid impurities
from liquid streams. This includes
removing particulate matter, catalyst
fines, sediment, and other solids from
process fluids such as crude oil, refined
products, and wastewater.
EXTRACTION
Extraction is a key unit operation in petroleum
chemical engineering, particularly in the
separation and purification of components from
liquid or gas streams.

It involves the transfer of one or more components

from one phase (a liquid or gas) into another
immiscible phase (a solvent).
 CONVERSION
PROCESSES
Cracking Polymerization Alkylation Hydrogenation

Chlorination Isomerization Esterification

 CONVERSION
PROCESSES
Polymerization Alkylation

Isomerization Hydroforming
CRACKING (Pyrolysis)

A fundamental process in petroleum chemical

engineering used to break down larger
hydrocarbon molecules into smaller, more valuable
molecules.

It's a crucial step in the refining of crude oil into

various petroleum products, including gasoline,
diesel, and jet fuel, as well as in the production of
petrochemicals.
CRACKING
(Pyrolysis)
POLYMERIZATION
Polymerization is a crucial conversion process in the realm
of petroleum chemicals, particularly in the production of
various polymers and plastics.

It involves the chemical reaction of monomer molecules to

form larger molecules known as polymers.

Monomer Production: Many monomers used in

polymerization processes are derived from petroleum
feedstocks. These feedstocks undergo various processes
such as cracking, distillation, and refining to yield simpler
hydrocarbon molecules that serve as the building blocks
for polymers.
POLYMERIZATION
Polymerization is a crucial conversion process in the realm
of petroleum chemicals, particularly in the production of
various polymers and plastics.
ALKYLATION
Alkylation is a vital process in petroleum refining and petrochemical
industries. It involves the combination of smaller hydrocarbon molecules,
typically light olefins such as propylene or butylene, with an isoparaffin
such as isobutane to form larger, branched-chain hydrocarbons. The
primary objective of alkylation is to produce high-octane gasoline
blending components and other valuable products.
ALKYLATION
ALKYLATION
 HYDROGENATION
Hydrogenation is a significant chemical process in the petroleum industry,
particularly in refining and petrochemicals.

It involves the addition of hydrogen to unsaturated hydrocarbons to saturate

double or triple bonds, resulting in the formation of more stable, saturated
compounds.
HYDROGENATION
CHLORINATION
Chlorination is a chemical process that involves the
introduction of chlorine atoms into organic compounds.

In the realm of petroleum chemicals, chlorination can occur

as a conversion process for certain hydrocarbons, although
it's less common compared to other processes like
hydrogenation or polymerization.
CHLORINATION
ISOMERIZATION
Isomerization is a crucial conversion process in the petroleum
industry, particularly in refining, where it plays a significant role in
optimizing the composition of petroleum fractions to meet specific
product specifications.

Isomerization involves rearranging the molecular structure of

hydrocarbons without changing the overall composition, resulting in
the formation of isomers—molecules with the same chemical
formula but different structural arrangements.
ISOMERIZATION
ESTERIFICATION
Esterification is a chemical reaction that involves the combination of
an alcohol (containing an -OH group) with a carboxylic acid
(containing a -COOH group) to form an ester and water. In the
context of petroleum chemicals, esterification can involve the reaction
of alcohols derived from petroleum feedstocks (such as ethanol or
methanol) with carboxylic acids or acid derivatives to produce esters.
ESTERIFICATION
Physical Properties of
Petrochemicals
1 Melting Point 2 Boiling Point
Petrochemicals have varying melting The boiling points of petrochemicals
points, depending on their chemical also differ based on their molecular
composition and structure. characteristics and intermolecular
forces.

3 Density
Petrochemicals exhibit a wide range of densities, from light to heavy, based on their
molecular weight and packing density.
Chemical Properties of
Petrochemicals
Reactivity Stability Combustibility

Petrochemicals display a The stability of Some petrochemicals are

wide spectrum of reactivity, petrochemicals can vary, highly flammable and
from highly reactive to influenced by factors such as combustible, while others
relatively inert, depending temperature, pressure, and exhibit low combustibility
on their molecular structure exposure to other chemicals due to their chemical
and functional groups. or light. composition.
USES
USES
THANK
YOU
Jamora, Eisheriel Mhae A.