abstract
The performance of a thermodynamic wax precipitation model strongly depends upon the n-paraffin thermophysical properties used. In order to estimate them, several correlations have been proposed, and their values have a great impact on both calculated wax disappearance temperature (WDT) and amount of wax precipitated at each temperature (WPC). The main goal of this work is to evaluate the correlations available for the relevant thermophysical properties aiming at achieving a reliable wax precipitation modeling. The methodology used involves the direct comparison of the correlations with the values of pure n-paraffin properties, and indirect evaluation by their use in the estimation of wax disappearance temperatures, the amount of wax precipitated at each temperature, and DSC experimental curves. This study contemplates two thermodynamic approaches for paraffin precipitation: the solid solution (SS), which considers the formation of one solid solution; and the multisolid phase model (MS), that assumes that each solid phase consists of a pure component. (C) 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
keywords
HYDROCARBON MIXTURES; THERMODYNAMIC MODEL; CRUDE OILS; PREDICTIVE UNIQUAC; HOMOLOGOUS SERIES; PHASE-EQUILIBRIA; MOLECULAR ALLOYS; SOLID-SOLUTIONS; NORMAL-ALKANES; BEHAVIOR
subject category
Thermodynamics; Chemistry; Engineering
authors
Kazmierczak, PR; Paredes, MLL; Lima, ERA; Coutinho, JAP
our authors
acknowledgements
The authors thank Brazilian Agencies CNPq (306142/2017-1) and FAPERJ (E-26/203.223/2016) for financial support.