Petroleum naphtha is an intermediate hydrocarbon liquid stream derived from the refining of crude oil[1][2][3] with CAS-no 64742-48-9.[4] It is most usually desulfurized and then catalytically reformed, which rearranges or restructures the hydrocarbon molecules in the naphtha as well as breaking some of the molecules into smaller molecules to produce a high-octane component of gasoline (or petrol).
There are hundreds of different petroleum crude oil sources worldwide and each crude oil has its own unique composition or assay. There are also hundreds of petroleum refineries worldwide and each of them is designed to process either a specific crude oil or specific types of crude oils. Naphtha is a general term as each refinery produces its own naphthas with their own unique initial and final boiling points and other physical and compositional characteristics.
Naphthas may also be produced from other material such as coal tar, shale deposits, tar sands, and the destructive distillation of wood.[5][6]
- ^ Gary, James H.; Handwerk, Glenn E. (1993). Petroleum Refining Technology and Economics (Second ed.). Marcel Dekker. ISBN 0-8247-7150-8.
- ^ Leffler, William L. (1985). Petroleum Refining for the Nontechnical Person (Second ed.). PennWell Books. ISBN 0-87814-280-0.
- ^ Speight, James G. (2006). The Chemistry and Technology of Petroleum (Fourth ed.). CRC Press. ISBN 0-8493-9067-2.
- ^ "Naphtha (petroleum), hydrotreated heavy". European Chemicals Agency.
- ^ Exploiting the Benefits of Fischer-Tropsch Technology Archived 2010-08-16 at the Wayback Machine (Sasol’s integrated business model)
- ^ Beychok, Milton R. (May 1975). Process and Environmental Technology for Producing SNG and Liquid Fuels (Report). United States Environmental Protection Agency. EPA-660/2-75-011.