Refinery gas
Refinery gases are gaseous by-products in petroleum refineries .
General
The gas is produced during the processing of crude oil during refining , mainly as a gas phase in the top tanks of distillation columns , but also as waste gas from gas separators in post-processing systems ( hydrodesulphurisation , catalytic reforming , hydrocrackers ). In addition to small amounts of hydrogen , this mixture also contains methane , ethane , propane and butane . Crackers can also contribute unsaturated compounds ( ethene , etc.).
Gas shares in refinery gases
In petroleum refineries , the refinery gas is a typical by-product of petroleum refining. The refinery gases have the following percentages by volume, also by-products:
| By-product |
Crude Oil - distillation |
Catalytic cracking |
hydro- cracking |
|---|---|---|---|
| hydrogen | 0 | 10.7 | 20.2 |
| methane | 21.4 | 17.7 | 38.9 |
| Ethylene ( ethene ) | 0 | 4.6 | 0 |
| Ethane | 20.3 | 13.5 | 4.1 |
| Propene | 0 | 13.7 | 0 |
| propane | 27.2 | 11.2 | 9.7 |
| Butene | 0 | 15.5 | 0 |
| butane | 31.0 | 13.1 | 27.1 |
Refinery gases are normally mixed up to produce fuel gas , i.e. H. - depending on the heating gas requirement - it is mixed with natural gas and / or gaseous LPG and fed to the kilns. Partial streams with a high ethane / propane / butane content can also be used as starting material for the gas furnace of a steam cracker .