Full range naphtha is a complex mixture of hydrocarbon molecules from 5 to 12 carbon atoms. This fraction of hydrocarbons has a boiling point range between 30°C and 200°C. It typically constitutes 15-30% of crude oil, by weight. As the focus of refineries shifted towards minimizing the carbon foot print and lower emissions, focus on fuel with higher research octane number (RON) and low emissions became the gold marked products which any facility targeted to produce. Naphtha processing facilities surged ahead in refurbishing so as to make more of high-end fuel along with incorporating technologies on improving the RON of the gasoline fuel. Many refineries processing naphtha eventually evolved towards producing fuel which was more sustainable and in demand and for this they have gone through various transformations in their original operations. Read the complete article in Aug 2021 issue of CEP.
