Technical paper
Solubility of Hydrocarbons in Physical Solvents
This paper compares the solubility of hydrocarbons in several physical solvents such as ethylene glycol, diethylene glycol, triethylene glycol, methanol, and dimethyl ethers of polyethylene glycol (DEPG, a solvent marketed by Union Carbide, UOP, and Coastal). Most of these solvents are designed to extract unwanted components such as water and acid gases. However, these solvents also have a tendency to remove the hydrocarbon product. Quantifying this amount of absorption is critical in order to minimize hydrocarbon losses or to optimize hydrocarbon recovery depending on the objective of the process. The influence of several parameters on hydrocarbon solubility including temperature, pressure and solvent water content is examined. Suggested operating parameters to achieve hydrocarbon absorption objectives are included. Hydrocarbon solubility is a major factor when considering the use of a physical solvent.
This paper compares the solubility of hydrocarbons in several physical solvents such as ethylene glycol, diethylene glycol, triethylene glycol, methanol, and dimethyl ethers of polyethylene glycol (DEPG, a solvent marketed by Union Carbide, UOP, and Coastal). Most of these solvents are designed to extract unwanted components such as water and acid gases. However, these solvents also have a tendency to remove the hydrocarbon product. Quantifying this amount of absorption is critical in order to minimize hydrocarbon losses or to optimize hydrocarbon recovery depending on the objective of the process. The influence of several parameters on hydrocarbon solubility including temperature, pressure and solvent water content is examined. Suggested operating parameters to achieve hydrocarbon absorption objectives are included. Hydrocarbon solubility is a major factor when considering the use of a physical solvent.