Naphtha
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Naphtha (
Naphtha is also known as Shellite in Australia.[1]
Etymology
The word naphtha is from
Antiquity
The book of
In Ancient Greek, it was used to refer to any sort of
The naphtha of antiquity is explained to be a "highly flammable light fraction of petroleum, an extremely volatile, strong-smelling, gaseous liquid, common in oil deposits of the Near East"; it was a chief ingredient in incendiary devices described by Latin authors of the Roman period.[6]
Modern period
Since the 19th century,
The usage of the term "naphtha" during this time typically implies petroleum naphtha, a colorless liquid with a similar odor to gasoline. However, "coal tar naphtha", a reddish brown liquid that is a mixture of hydrocarbons (toluene, xylene, and cumene, etc.), could also be intended in some contexts.[9]
Petroleum
In older usage,[
The
Types
Various qualifiers have been added to the term "naphtha" by different sources in an effort to make it more specific:
One source[14] distinguishes by boiling point:
Light naphtha is the fraction boiling between 30 °C and 90 °C and consists of molecules with 5–6 carbon atoms. Heavy naphtha boils between 90 °C and 200 °C and consists of molecules with 6–12 carbon atoms.
Another source[15] which differentiates light and heavy comments on the hydrocarbon structure, but offers a less precise dividing line:
Light [is] a mixture consisting mainly of straight-chained and cyclic aliphatic hydrocarbons having from five to six carbon atoms per molecule. Heavy [is] a mixture consisting mainly of straight-chained and cyclic aliphatic hydrocarbons having from seven to nine carbon atoms per molecule.
Both of these are useful definitions, but they are incompatible with one another and the latter does not provide for mixes containing both six and seven carbon atoms per molecule. These terms are also sufficiently broad that they are not widely useful.
Uses
Heavy crude oil dilution
Naphtha is used to dilute heavy crude oil to reduce its viscosity and enable/facilitate transport; undiluted heavy crude cannot normally be transported by pipeline, and may also be difficult to pump onto oil tankers. Other common dilutants include natural-gas condensate and light crude. However, naphtha is a particularly efficient dilutant and can be recycled from diluted heavy crude after transport and processing.[16][17][18] The importance of oil dilutants has increased as global production of lighter crude oils has fallen and shifted to exploitation of heavier reserves.[17]
Fuel
Light naphtha is used as a fuel in some commercial applications. One notable example is wick-based cigarette lighters, such as the Zippo, which draw “lighter fluid”—naphtha—into a wick from a reservoir to be ignited using the flint and wheel.
It is also a fuel for camping stoves and oil lanterns, known as “white gas”, where naphtha’s low boiling point makes it easy to ignite. Naphtha is sometimes preferred over kerosene as it clogs fuel lines less. The outdoor equipment manufacturer MSR published a list of trade names and translations to help outdoor enthusiasts obtain the correct products in various countries.[19]
Naphtha was also historically used as a fuel in some small launch boats where steam technology was impractical; most were built to circumvent safety laws relating to traditional steam launches.[20]
Plastics
Naphtha is a crucial component in the production of plastics.[21]
Health and safety considerations
The
Humans can be exposed to naphtha in the workplace by inhalation, ingestion, dermal contact, and eye contact. The
Fels-Naptha is an American brand of laundry soap manufactured by Summit Brands. It originally included the ingredient naphtha, effective for cleaning laundry and urushiol, an oil contained in poison ivy. Naphtha was later removed as a cancer risk.[26]
See also
- Coleman fuel
- Fels-Naptha
- Fractional distillation
- Fluid catalytic cracking
- Greek fire
- Hydrocarbon
- Kerosene
- Mineral spirits
- Naphtha launch
- Oil refinery
- Petroleum distillation
- Petroleum naphtha
- Tar
References
- ^ a b "Material Safety Data Sheet : Shellite" (PDF). Recochem.com.au. Retrieved 2015-10-26.
- Berlin Institute of Technology). "Persisches Erbe im Griechischen, Lateinischen, Arabischen, Türkischen und in verschiedenen heutigen europäischen Sprachen (Persian Heritage in Greek, Latin, Arabic, Turkic and Various Modern European Languages)". Technische Universität Berlin. Archived from the originalon 2011-08-11. Retrieved 2010-02-28.
- ISBN 978-1-934768-59-4.
- Encyclopaedia Iranica. Retrieved 1 September 2018.
- ^ 2 Maccabees 1:36
- ISBN 0715638521. digital copy
- ISBN 9780715638521.
- ^ "Fels & Company". Hsp.org. Retrieved 2016-09-28.
- ISBN 9780815519034.
- ^ "Slovenské slovníky". Slovnik.juls.savba.sk. Retrieved 2015-10-26.
- ISBN 978-1-934768-59-4.
- ISBN 978-1-78071-417-2.
- ISBN 978-3-11-012855-0.
- ISBN 9780203913505. Retrieved 2010-02-03.
- ^ "Chemistry of Hazardous Materials, Third Edition", Meyer, E., Prentice Hall, 1998, page 458.
- S2CID 73605226.
- ^ a b "Dilution of heavy crude oils for pipeline ransportation purposes: The asphaltene instability issue".
- ^ "Diluting Venezuela's heavy crude just got harder". www.worldoil.com. 29 January 2019. Retrieved 2019-04-09.
- ^ MSR (24 August 2020). Where do I get fuels in foreign countries and what other types of fuel can I use? (PDF). Seattle, Washington, USA: Mountain Safety Research (MSR). Retrieved 2021-08-27. Date from PDF metadata.
- ^ Durant, Kenneth (1976). The Naptha Launch.
- ^ "How Plastics are Made". Plastics Europe. Brussels: Association of Plastics Manufacturers.
- ^ "Petroleum Ether". Hazard.com. 1998-04-21. Retrieved 2015-10-26.
- ^ "Material Safety Data Sheet : Ronsonol Lighter Fuel" (PDF). Cooperbooth.com. Retrieved 2015-10-26.
- ^ "NAFAA". NAFAA. Archived from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2015-10-26.
- ^ "CDC - NIOSH Pocket Guide to Chemical Hazards - Naphtha (coal tar)". www.cdc.gov. Retrieved 2015-11-27.
- ^ "Portugrocer: 1942". Shorpy.com. Retrieved 2023-05-03.