Kian Petroleum Company is an international specialized petrochemical company producing various petroleum products such as Aviation fuel
Aviation fuel
Aviation fuel , aka Jet A-1, is used to power most civilian aircraft. But what goes into producing it? This article explains how jet fuel is produced from crude oil
Where it All Starts: Crude Oil
Fuels like petrol, diesel and aviation fuel are produced from crude, or fossil, oil. This is untreated mineral oil which consists mainly of hydrocarbons and which is produced by the decomposition of organic materials, such as plankton and algae. The oil is extracted by drilling to allow further processing, which involves using a variety of separation and preservation processes to transform the crude oil into the raw materials for generating warmth and electricity. Crude oil is also used to create synthetic materials. Due to its many usage applications, crude oil is also known as “black gold
Conventional Jet Fuel Production – The Refining Process
Complex chemical processes are required to produce jet fuel from crude oil. This is where the different boiling points of hydrocarbons come in handy. In total, crude oil contains over 500 components
In the refinery, crude oil is placed into what is known as a fractionating column, a kind of distillation tower, where it is separated into its major components. To do this, it is heated to 400 degrees Celsius. At this temperature, it vaporises and enters the fractionating column in gaseous form. The temperature inside the column decreases towards the top. As each of the crude oil’s components reaches its boiling point, it liquidises and flows into one of the bubble-cap trays
At just under 400 degrees Celsius, lubricating oils, waxes, paraffins and bitumen condense. Lighter components liquidise higher up, with heating oil and diesel separating at around 360 degrees. The middle distillate, with a boiling point of 250 degrees Celsius, becomes kerosene and petroleum. At 80 degrees Celsius, we get light gasoline, while methane, propane, butane and ethane condense right at the top of the column. The liquid components are drained off at the side of the fractionating column