Methods of extraction of oil waxes

Methods of extraction of oil waxes

The process of producing oil waxes is the process of oil extraction, the feed of which is supplied from the oily wax, which is the most part of the feed of oil production factories or sediments of petroleum storage reservoirs.

The most part of the mentioned feed is actually a byproduct of the waxing process, with the aim of producing engine oil with a low pour point. Oily waxes have little direct use because of having the large amount of oil and are only used as a raw material for producing commercial waxes with different purity degrees. Therefore, we can say that despite the fact that the main process of producing oil waxes is the process of oil extraction, but the waxing process is also in the wax production chain. Nowadays, oil extraction unit and waxing units are integrated in many factories and both oil and wax products are produced together.

This is also true for the units that use the solvent extraction method, because due to the similar method and technique in both waxing and oil extraction with solvent processes, the possibility of common use of solvent recovery parts and water and electricity and steam is available and therefore the mentioned units will be more cost-effective from an economic point of view.

As mentioned above, wax production processes can be divided into two parts as follows:

A- Oil extraction methods, the feed of which is oily waxes and the aim of which is producing oil-free waxes

B- Waxing – oil extraction methods that the feed of which is Lubcat and the aim of which is producing oil product with low pour point and oil-free wax