Petroleum and Petrochemicals

GENERAL OBJECTIVES:

1. Know the primary raw materials for petrochemicals, treatment processes and properties

2. Know the hydrocarbon intermediates (secondary raw materials) for the production of petrochemicals

3. Understand crude oil processing and the production of hydrocarbons

4. Know the extraction and uses of non-hydrocarbon intermediates

5. Describe petrochemicals based on methane

6. Describe petrochemicals based on ethane and higher paraffins

7. Describe petrochemicals based on ethylene

8. Describe petrochemicals based on propylene

9. Describe petrochemicals based on C4 Olefins and Diolefins

10. Describe petrochemicals based on benzene, toluene and xylene

11. Be familiar with synthetic petroleum based polymers

1. Discuss the origin of petroleum raw materials

2. Know the composition of Natural Gas

3. Describe treatment processes for Natural Gas

4. Discuss Natural Gas Liquids (NGL)

5. Describe properties of Natural Gas

6. Know the composition of crude oils

7. Describe properties of crude oils

8. Understand crude oil classification

1. Know the paraffinic hydrocarbons (methane, ethane, propane, and butanes) and their role as secondary raw materials

2. Know the olefinic hydrocarbons (ethylene, propylene, butylenes) and their role as secondary raw materials

3. Discuss the dienes: butadiene and isoprene

4. Describe the extraction of aromatics and discuss their role as secondary raw materials

5. Discuss Liquid Petroleum Fractions and Residues: Naphtha, Kerosine, Gas Oil, Residual Fuel oil

1. Physical separation processes: atmospheric and vacuum distillation, absorption, adsorption, and solvent extraction

2. Conversion processes: thermal processes (cocking, cracking, delayed cockingfluid cocking viscocity breaking) and catalytic conversion processes (reforming, cracking, deep cracking, hydrocracking) alkylation processes, isomeriasation processes etc

3. Production of olefins: steam cracking

4. Production of diolefins

1. Know the extraction and uses of hydrogen

2. Know the extraction and uses of sulphur

3. Know the extraction and uses of carbon black

4. Discuss the production and uses of synthesis gas

1. Discuss the direct conversion of methane into: carbon disulphide, hydrogen cyanide, chloromethanes.

2. describe the production of methanol from synthesis gas

3. Discuss the uses of methanol as a fuel

4. Describe the uses of methanol as a feedstock (for formaldehyde, methyl chlorides, acetic acid, methyl tertiary butyl ether, dimethyl carbonate, methylamines, etc)

5. Discuss the production of hydrocarbons from methanol

6. Know the MTG process (methanol to Gasoline)

7. Know the production of ethylene glycol (anti-freeze) from synthesis gas.

1. Describe the isolation and uses of ethane

2. Describe the isolation and uses of propane

3. Discuss reactions of propane (oxidation, chlorination, dehydrogenation, and nitration) and uses of the resulting products

4. Describe the isolation and uses of butanes

5. Discuss reactions of butanes (oxidation, isomeriasation, production of aromatics)

6. Discuss petrochemicals from high molecular weight n-parafins (oxidation, chlorination, sulphonation, etc)

1. Describe the production and isolation of ethylene

2. Know the importance of ethylene in the petrochemical industry

3. Discuss the production of ethylene oxide and its uses as a feedstock in the production of derivatives

4. Know the carbonylation, chlorination, hydration, and oligomerisation of ethylene

5. Discuss alkylation using ethylene

1. Describe the production and isolation of propylene

2. Discuss the oxidation of propylene

3. Know the oxyacylation of propylene

4. Discuss the hydration of propylene and the uses of isopropanol

5. Describe the hydroformylation of propene

1. Describe the isolation of n-butene, isobutene and butadienes

2. Discuss the oxidation of n-butenes and uses of the resulting petrochemicals

3. Discuss the production and uses of petrochemicals from isobutylene: oxidation, epoxidation, addition of alcohols, hydration, carbonylation, and dimerisation

4. Discuss the production of petrochemicals from butadiene: adiponitrile, hexamethylene diamine, adipic acid, and butanediol 

1. Describe the isolation of benzene, toluene and xylene

2. Describe the reactions of benzene (alkylation, chlorination, nitration, oxidation, and hydrogenation) and uses of the resulting products

3. Describe the reactions of toluene (dealkylation, disproportionation, oxidation and carbonylation)

4. Know the production of terephthalic acid, Phthalic anhydride and isophthalic acid from xylenes.

1. Discuss the importance of synthetic petroleum based polymers

2. Discuss thermoplastics (polyethylene, polypropylene, PVC, polystyrene, Nylon resins and thermoplastic polyesters

3. Discuss thermosetting plastics: polyurethanes, epoxy resins, unsaturated polyesters

4. Discuss synthetic rubbers: butadiene polymers and copolymers, nitrile rubbers, polisoprene and butyl rubber

5. Discuss synthetic fibres: polyester fibres, polyamides, acrylic and modacrylic fibres, carbon fibres and polypropylene fibres.