Information about White Gas
Naphtha (CAS No.: 8032-32-4, 8030-30-6, 8002-05-9; aka petroleum ether, white spirit (though in the UK white spirit is something completely different), Ligroin; VM&P Naphtha; Varnish Makers and Painter's Naphtha [1]; Benzin; Petroleum Naphtha, Naphtha ASTM, Petroleum Spirits, shellite, ronsonol; not to be confused with Naphthalene) is a group of various liquid hydrocarbon intermediate refined products of varying boiling point ranges from 20 to 75 °C (68 to 167 °F), which may be derived from oil or from coal tar, and perhaps other primary sources.
Naphtha is used primarily as feedstock for producing a high octane gasoline component via the catalytic reforming process. Naphtha is also used in the petrochemical industry for producing olefins in steam crackers and in the chemical industry for solvent (cleaning) applications.
Below are linked some Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) specifications for different "naphtha" products, which contain varying degrees of naphtha, as well as various other chemicals. As well as giving health guidelines, these are one of the few ways to determine what a given product contains.
The different naphthas are distinguished by:
When used as feedstock in petrochemical steam crackers, the naphtha is heated in the presence of water vapour and the absence of oxygen or air until the hydrocarbon molecules fall apart. The primary products of the cracking process are olefins (ethylene / ethene, propylene / propene and butadiene) and aromatics (benzene and toluene). These are used as feedstocks for derivative units that produce plastics (polyethylene and polypropylene for example), synthetic fiber precursors (acrylonitrile), industrial chemicals (glycols for instance).
The "heavier" or rather denser types are usually richer in naphthenes and aromatics and therefore also referred to as N&A's. These can also be used in the petrochemical industry but more often are used as a feedstock for refinery catalytic reformers where they convert the lower octane naphtha to a higher octane product called reformate. Alternative names for these types are Straight Run Benzene (SRB) or Heavy Virgin Naphtha (HVN).
Naphtha is the root of the words naphthalene and napalm, which is derived from naphtha by mixing under controlled conditions with aluminium salts of palmitic acid (a type of soap).
Naphtha is used primarily as feedstock for producing a high octane gasoline component via the catalytic reforming process. Naphtha is also used in the petrochemical industry for producing olefins in steam crackers and in the chemical industry for solvent (cleaning) applications.
Health and safety considerations
Forms of naphtha may be carcinogenic, and frequently products sold as naphtha contain some impurities, which may also have deleterious properties of their own. [3] Like many hydrocarbon products, because they are products of a refractory process where a complex soup of chemicals is broken into another range of chemicals, which are then graded and isolated mainly by their specific gravity and volatility, there are a range of distinct chemicals included in each product. This makes rigorous comparisons and identification of specific carcinogens difficult, especially in our modern environment where exposure to a great number of such products occurs on a daily basis, and is further complicated by exposure to a significant range of other known and potential carcinogens (eg see [4]).Below are linked some Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) specifications for different "naphtha" products, which contain varying degrees of naphtha, as well as various other chemicals. As well as giving health guidelines, these are one of the few ways to determine what a given product contains.
- JT Baker VM&P Naphtha MSDS.
- Diggers Shellite MSDS
- Shell Ronsonol MSDS source1 source2
- Links to more MSDS for various camping-stove fuels including several that include naphtha
Properties of Naphthas
- *Health Hazards
- *Physical Properties
Production of naphtha in refineries and uses
Naphtha is obtained in petroleum refineries as one of the intermediate products from the distillation of crude oil. It is a liquid intermediate between the light gases in the crude oil and the heavier liquid kerosene. Naphthas are volatile, flammable and have a specific gravity of about 0.7. The generic name naphtha describes a range of different refinery intermediate products used in different applications. To further complicate the matter, similar naphtha types are often referred to by different names.The different naphthas are distinguished by:
- density (g/ml or specific gravity)
- PONA, PIONA or PIANO analysis, which measures (usually in volume percent but can also be in weight percent):
- Paraffin content (volume percent)
- Isoparaffin content (only in a PIONA analysis)
- Olefins content (volume percent)
- Naphthenes content (volume percent)
- Aromatics content (volume percent)
Paraffinic naphthas
Generally speaking, less dense ("lighter") naphthas will have a higher paraffin content. These are therefore also referred to as paraffinic naphtha. The main application for these naphthas is as a feedstock in the petrochemical production of olefins. This is also the reason they are sometimes referred to as "light distillate feedstock" or LDF (these naphtha types can also be called "straight run gasoline"/SRG or "light virgin naphtha"/LVN).When used as feedstock in petrochemical steam crackers, the naphtha is heated in the presence of water vapour and the absence of oxygen or air until the hydrocarbon molecules fall apart. The primary products of the cracking process are olefins (ethylene / ethene, propylene / propene and butadiene) and aromatics (benzene and toluene). These are used as feedstocks for derivative units that produce plastics (polyethylene and polypropylene for example), synthetic fiber precursors (acrylonitrile), industrial chemicals (glycols for instance).
Heavy naphthas
)
Coleman Camp Fuel, also known as white gas is a common naphtha fuel used in many lanterns and torches
Other applications / descriptions
Naphthas are also used in other applications such as:- (as an unprocessed component - in contrast to reforming above) in the production of petrol/motor gasoline.
- industrial solvents and cleaning fluids
- an oil painting medium
- the sole ingredient in the home cleaning fluid Energine, which has been discontinued. You can purchase this type of naphtha at any hardware store.
- an ingredient in shoe polish
- an ingredient in some lighter fluids for wick type lighters such as Zippo lighters.
- an adulterant to petrol
- a fuel for portable stoves and lanterns, sold in North America as white gas or Coleman fuel.
- historically, as a probable ingredient in Greek fire (together with grease, oil, sulfur, and naturally occurring saltpeter from the desert)
- a fuel for fire spinning, fire juggling, or other fire performance equipment which creates a brighter and cleaner yet shorter burn.
- to lightly wear the finish off guitars when preparing "relic" instruments.
- to remove oil from the aperture blades of camera lenses, which if present can cause slow the movement of the blades, leading to overexposure.
- in medieval times, pots containing naphtha were used in battle as a form of primitive grenade.
Examples
Shellite (Australia), also known as white gas (North America), white spirit or Coleman fuel, is a water white liquid with a hydrocarbon odour. Shellite has a flashpoint less than -30 degrees Celsius, and a boiling point of 47 degrees Celsius. The composition of shellite is 95% paraffins and naphthenes, less than 5% aromatic hydrocarbons and less than 0.5% benzene. It is highly flammable and due to its low flashpoint is used in many low pressure camping stoves. Shellite is also a fast drying solvent used for cleaning metal, hard plastic and painted surfaces. Ronsonol is a brand name used in North America, and is marketed principally as a refill fluid for cigarette lighters.Etymology
The origin of the word Naphtha is unclear. It is an Ancient Greek word which was used to refer to any sort of petroleum or pitch. The Greeks themselves borrowed the word from the Old Persian words nafata, naft or neft, which were used to describe bubbling oil. Naphtha may also have been derived from the name of the Vedic Hindu and Avestic god Apam Napat, a form of Agni, or fire god.Naphtha is the root of the words naphthalene and napalm, which is derived from naphtha by mixing under controlled conditions with aluminium salts of palmitic acid (a type of soap).
References
1. ^ “Chemistry of Hazardous Materials, Third Edition”, Meyer, E., Prentice Hall, 1998, page 458.
2. ^ “Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Third Edition”, LaDou, J. , MS., MD. Lange Medical Books, McGraw Hill, 2004, page 508.
2. ^ “Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Third Edition”, LaDou, J. , MS., MD. Lange Medical Books, McGraw Hill, 2004, page 508.
See also
External links
- NIOSH Pocket Guide to Chemical Hazards from the US National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
- Search a number of sites for MSDS
- Different names with different meanings in different countries, for some naphtha-containing camping-stove products
- Cooper Basin naphtha manufacturer's description
- Lists of many chemical manufacturer's MSDS sites
- The Physical and Theoretical Chemistry Laboratory Oxford University Chemical and Other Safety Information
- NLM Hazardous Substances Databank – Naphtha
Additional Sources
- McDermott, Henry J. (2004). Air Monitoring for Toxic Exposures (Second Edition) John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Petroleum ether, also known as benzine or X4, is a group of various volatile, highly flammable, liquid hydrocarbon mixtures used chiefly as nonpolar solvents.
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Naphthalene (not to be confused with naphtha) (also known as naphthalin, naphthaline, moth ball, tar camphor, white tar, or albocarbon
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hydrocarbon is an organic compound consisting entirely of hydrogen and carbon. With relation to chemical terminology, aromatic hydrocarbons or arenes, alkanes, alkenes and alkyne-based compounds composed entirely of carbon or hydrogen are referred to as "Pure" hydrocarbons, whereas
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A feedstock is a substance used as a raw material in an industrial process. Examples of petrochemical feedstocks are ethylene, propylene, butadiene, benzene, toluene, xylene, and naphthalene.
Feedstock is the raw material from fermentation process with cells.
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Feedstock is the raw material from fermentation process with cells.
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octane rating is a measure of the autoignition resistance of gasoline (petrol) and other fuels used in spark-ignition internal combustion engines. It is a measure of anti-detonation of a gasoline or fuel.
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Gasoline or petrol is a petroleum-derived liquid mixture consisting mostly of aliphatic hydrocarbons and enhanced with aromatic hydrocarbons toluene, benzene or iso-octane to increase octane ratings, primarily used as fuel in internal combustion engines.
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Catalytic reforming is a chemical process used to convert petroleum refinery naphthas, typically having low octane ratings, into high-octane liquid products called reformates which are components of high-octane gasoline (also known as petrol).
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Petrochemicals are chemical products made from raw materials of petroleum (hydrocarbon) origin. (Etymologically, the name is incorrect, as the Greek root petro- means "rock"; the correct term is oleochemicals, from the Greek root oleo-, meaning "oil".
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alkene, olefin, or olefine is an unsaturated chemical compound containing at least one carbon-to-carbon double bond. The simplest alkenes, with only one double bond and no other functional groups, form a homologous series of hydrocarbons with the general formula
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cracking is the process whereby complex organic molecules such as kerogens or heavy hydrocarbons are broken down into simpler molecules (e.g. light hydrocarbons) by the breaking of carbon-carbon bonds in the precursors.
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A solvent is a liquid that dissolves a solid, liquid, or gaseous solute, resulting in a solution. The most common solvent in everyday life is water. Most other commonly-used solvents are organic (carbon-containing) chemicals. These are called organic solvents.
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The term carcinogen refers to any substance, radionuclide or radiation which is an agent directly involved in the promotion of cancer or in the facilitation
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The term carcinogen refers to any substance, radionuclide or radiation which is an agent directly involved in the promotion of cancer or in the facilitation
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hydrocarbon is an organic compound consisting entirely of hydrogen and carbon. With relation to chemical terminology, aromatic hydrocarbons or arenes, alkanes, alkenes and alkyne-based compounds composed entirely of carbon or hydrogen are referred to as "Pure" hydrocarbons, whereas
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refractory refers to the quality of a material to retain its strength at high temperatures. Refractory materials are used to make crucibles and linings for furnaces, kilns and incinerators.
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Volatility in the context of chemistry, physics and thermodynamics is a measure of the tendency of a substance to vaporize. It has also been defined as a measure of how readily a substance vaporizes.
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Benzene, or Benzol (see also Benzine) is an organic chemical compound with the formula C6H6. It is sometimes abbreviated Ph–H. Benzene is a colorless and inflammable liquid with a sweet smell and a relatively high melting point.
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Petroleum (Latin Petroleum derived from Greek πέτρα (Latin petra) - rock + έλαιον (Latin oleum) - oil) or crude oil
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Kerosene, sometimes spelled kerosine in scientific and industrial usage,[1] is a flammable hydrocarbon liquid. The name is derived from Greek "keros" (κηρός wax).
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Paraffin is a common name for a group of alkane hydrocarbons with the general formula CnH2n+2, where n is the number of carbon atoms. The simplest paraffin molecule is that of methane, CH4, a gas at room temperature.
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Alkanes, also known as Paraffins, are chemical compounds that consist only of the elements carbon (C) and hydrogen (H) (i.e. hydrocarbons), where each of these atoms are linked together exclusively by single bonds (i.e. they are saturated compounds) without any cyclic structure (i.
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alkene, olefin, or olefine is an unsaturated chemical compound containing at least one carbon-to-carbon double bond. The simplest alkenes, with only one double bond and no other functional groups, form a homologous series of hydrocarbons with the general formula
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Cycloalkanes (also called naphthenes) are chemicals with one or more carbon rings to which hydrogen atoms are attached according to the formula CnH2n.
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Aromaticity is a chemical property in which a conjugated ring of unsaturated bonds, lone pairs, or empty orbitals exhibit a stabilization stronger than would be expected by the stabilization of conjugation alone.
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Paraffin is a common name for a group of alkane hydrocarbons with the general formula CnH2n+2, where n is the number of carbon atoms. The simplest paraffin molecule is that of methane, CH4, a gas at room temperature.
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A feedstock is a substance used as a raw material in an industrial process. Examples of petrochemical feedstocks are ethylene, propylene, butadiene, benzene, toluene, xylene, and naphthalene.
Feedstock is the raw material from fermentation process with cells.
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Feedstock is the raw material from fermentation process with cells.
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alkene, olefin, or olefine is an unsaturated chemical compound containing at least one carbon-to-carbon double bond. The simplest alkenes, with only one double bond and no other functional groups, form a homologous series of hydrocarbons with the general formula
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Ethylene (or IUPAC name ethene) is the chemical compound with the formula C2H4. It is the simplest alkene. Because it contains a double bond, ethylene is called an unsaturated hydrocarbon or an olefin.
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Ethylene (or IUPAC name ethene) is the chemical compound with the formula C2H4. It is the simplest alkene. Because it contains a double bond, ethylene is called an unsaturated hydrocarbon or an olefin.
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