Refining Innovation Promotes More Efficiency

When refining petroleum, a process known as alkylation is used in order to produce the premium gasoline-blending component known as alkylate. Alkylate is the additive in premium automobile fuel that helps solve the pesky knocking noises that can occur in engines and may develop when using lower grade gasoline. Engine knock is the sharp metallic noise produced as a result of the pre-ignition of fuel, often when accelerating, which can result in power reduction and a loss of fuel economy. Engine knock can often be alleviated by a tune-up and correcting the timing of the engine. In older cars especially, this is not enough, and an easy defense against engine knocking is by using higher-octane gasoline with the additive alkylate.

The term octane is the common name for the measure of the Antiknock Index of gasoline. The Antiknock Index, or octane number, measures the gasoline’s ability to resist this pre-ignition, or engine knock. The higher-octane gasoline blends are always priced higher than the lower ones partly because of the higher costs that develop as a result of the more stringent refining processes they must go through before reaching the pump, and ultimately the discerning consumer’s tank. Conventionally, this process involves the use of liquid isobutene and liquid olefin reacting together when exposed to one of two potentially hazardous acids (sulfuric or hydrofluoric) that then act as a catalyst to promote the rearrangement of the structural molecules. This process is very expensive, and the resulting alkylate is then blended with gasoline to produce the higher-octane blends. An American company, VHP, Inc., has developed a more efficient and cheaper alternative to this tried and true alkylation method. Their device has previously been used as a stripper to remove contaminants from water, but its proposed use as a new and improved alkylation reactor is less costly to install and necessitates less use of these corrosive acids, resulting in lowering the costs incurred by acid transport and disposal in the conventional method. Another attractive byproduct of this new process would be less harmful particulate emissions into the environment.

This exciting new technology would result in a nearly 50 percent reduction of acid costs currently spent in refining of petroleum into gasoline. Large domestic refining and distribution companies like Triple Diamond Energy Corp are anxiously observing the development of this technology in hopes of using it to better serve their consumer base, lowering their bottom line, and passing these savings on to their valued customers.

About the Author: Robert Jent is the president of Triple Diamond Energy Corp. Triple Diamond Energy specializes in acquiring the highest quality prime oil and gas properties. For more information, visit www.triplediamondenergycorp.blogspot.com.