Basics of Petroleum Physical Properties

BASIC PROPERTIES OF PETROLEUM
Oil consists of a closely related series of complex hydrocarbon compounds that

range from gasoline to heavy solids. The various mixtures that constitute crude oil
can be separated by distillation under increasing temperatures into such
components as (from light to heavy) gasoline, kerosene, gas oil, lubricating oil,
residual fuel oil, bitumen, and paraffin.
BASIC PHYSICS
STATES OF MATTER: 3 PHYSICAL STATES – SOLID / LIQUID / GAS
MELTING: PROCESS OF CHANGE OF STATE FM SOLID TO LIQUID
EVAPORATION: CHANGE OF STATE FROM LIQUID TO GAS
SUBLIMATION: SOME SOLIDS DO NOT MELT WHEN HEATED. THEY

CHANGE DIRECTLY FROM SOLID TO GASEOUS STATE.
MELTING POINT: TEMP AT WHICH MELTING OCCURS.
BOILING POINT: A LIQUID STARTS TO BOIL WHEN ITS VAPOUR

PRESSURE BECOMES EQUAL TO THE ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE.
HENCE THE BOILING POINT OF A LIQUID IS THE TEMP AT WHICH THE
VAPOUR PRESSURE OF THE LIQUID IS EQUAL TO THE ATMOSPHERIC
PRESSURE.
LIQUIDS
SURFACE TENSION: THE PHENOMENON BY VIRTUE OF WHICH THE

FREE SURFACE OF A LIQUID BEHAVES LIKE AN ELASTIC MEMBRANE
UNDER TRENSION TO CONTRACT SO AS TO HAVE MINIMUM SURFACE
AREA KNOWN AS SURFACE TENSION.
COHESION: IT IS THE FORCE WITH WHICH LIKE MOLECULES

ATTRACT EACH OTHER. WITHIN A SOLID,THE FORCES OF COHESION
ARE VERY LARGE SINCE THE MOLECULES ARE CLOSE TOGETHER.
COHESION FORCES ARE LESS FOR LIQUIDS AND LEAST FOR GASES.
ADHESION: IT IS THE CONTRACTION OF UNLIKE MOLECULES. AT

THE COMMON SURFACE OF 2 DIFFERENT SUBSTANCES UNLIKE
MOLECULES ATTRACT EACH OTHER.
VISCOSITY: IT IS THE INTERNAL RESISTANCE OF A LIQUID TO FLOW.
IT DECREASES WITH RISE IN TEMPERATURE.
SATURATED VAPOUR PRESSURE (SVP):

• WHEN A GAS FREE CONTAINER IS PARTLY FILLED WITH A
VOLATILE LIQUID THEN BECAUSE OF EVAPORATION GAS IS
LIBERATED INTO THE SPACE ABOVE THE LIQUID.
• SIMULTANEOUSLY THE GAS SO LIBERATED HAS A TENDENCY
TO REDISSOLVE INTO THE LIQUID.
• AT A CERTAIN STAGE THE NUMBER OF MOLECULES LEAVING
THE LIQUID WILL BE EQUAL TO THE NUMBER OF MOLECULES
RECOMBINING WITH THE LIQUID. THIS STAGE OF
EQUILIBRIUM IS CALLED S V P OF THAT LIQUID AT THAT TEMP.
• SVP CHANGE S WITH TEMP.
GASES
• DIFUSION: WHEN 2 GASES MIX THEY DIFUSE THROUGH EACH

OTHER AND IS CAUSED DUE TO THE MOTION OF INDIVIDUAL
MOLECULES OF GAS MOVING AT HIGH SPEEDS IN ALL
DIRECTIONS. THE AVG VEL OF THE GAS MOLECULES DEPENDS
UPON ON THEIR MASS (DENSITY).
• CRITICAL TEMPERATURE: THIS IS THE MAX TEMP AT WHICH
A GAS CAN BE LIQUEFIED. AT ANY TEMP ABOVE THIS VALUE
GAS CANNOT BE LIQUEFIED.
• CRITICAL PRESSURE: THIS IS THE PRESSURE AT THE CRITICAL
TEMP TO CAUSE LIQUEFACTION OF GAS.
THE PHYSICAL AND CHEMICAL PROPERTIES WHICH HAVE THE

GREATEST BEARING ON THE HAZARDS ARISING FROM PETROLEUM
LIQUIDS ARE
• VAPOUR PRESSURE
• FLAMMABILITY OF GASES
• DENSITY OF GASES.
VAPOUR PRESSURE
THE CONSTITUENTS OF PETROLEUM PRODUCTS HAVE A WIDE
RANGING VOLATILITY.
VOLATILITY: IT IS THE TENDENCY OF A PETROLEUM PRODUCT TO

PRODUCE GAS AND IS CHARACTERIZED BY THE VAPOUR PRESSURE.
VAPOUR PRESSURE: THE VAPOUR PRESSURE OF A PURE COMPOUND
DEPENDS ONLY UPON ITS TEMP. THE VAPOUR PRESSURE OF A
MIXTURE DEPENDS UPON BOTH ITS TEMP AND THE VOL OF GAS
SPACE INTO WHICH VAPORIZATION OCCURS.
AS THE TEMP OF PETROLEUM MIXTURE RISES ITS TRUE VAPOUR

PRESSURE (TVP) INCREASES AND IF IT EXCEEDS ATMOSPHERIC
PRESSURE, THE LIQUID BEGINS TO BOIL.
FLASH POINT
IT IS THE LOWEST LIQUID TEMP AT WHICH A SMALL FLAME
INITIATES A FLASH OF FLAME ACROSS THE SURFACE OF THE LIQUID
THEREBY INDICATING THE PRESENCE OF A FLAMMABLE GAS / AIR
MIXTURE ABOVE THE LIQUID.
HEAVY GAS OILS AND DIESEL OILS HAVE A FLASH POINT OF 60 DEG C
AND > WHEREAS AVIATION FUEL, KEROSENE HAS A FLASH POINT OF
60 DEG C AND <.
FLAMMABILITY
• IN THE PROCESS OF BURNING HYDROCARBON GASES REACT
WITH OXYGEN IN THE AIR TO PRODUCE CO2 AND WATER. THE
REACTION GIVES ENOUGH HEAT TO FORM A VISIBLE FLAME
WHICH TRAVELS THROUGH THE MIXTURE OF HYDROCARBON
GAS AND AIR.
• WHEN THE GAS ABOVE LIQUID HYDROCARBON IS IGNITED THE
HEAT IS ENOUGH TO EVAPORATE SUFFICIENT FRESH GAS TO
MAINTAIN THE FLAME, AND THE LIQUID IS SAID TO BURN.
• A MIXTURE OF HC GAS AND AIR CANNOT BE IGNITED AND
BURN UNLESS ITS COMPOSITION LIES WITHIN A RANGE OF GAS
IN AIR CONCENTRATIONS KNOWN AS “FLAMMABLE RANGE”
HAVING A LOWER / UPPER FLAMMABILITY LIMITS (LFL / UFL).
POLLUTION VIS-À-VIS PHYSICAL PROPERTIES OF
PETROLEUM BASED OIL
• Petroleum-based oils have a broad range of natural hydrocarbon-based

substances and refined petroleum products, each having a different chemical
composition.
• As a result, each type of crude oil and refined product has distinct physical
properties, that affect
1. The way it spreads and breaks down
2. The hazards it may pose to marine and human life
3. The likelihood that it will pose a threat to natural and man-made resources.
• Light refined products, such as gasoline and kerosene, spread on water
surfaces and penetrate porous soils quickly. Fire and toxic hazards are high,
but the products evaporate quickly and leaves little residue.
• Heavier refined oil products may pose a lesser fire and toxic hazard and do
not spread on water as readily. Heavier oils are more persistent, however,
and may present a greater remediation challenge.
• The rate at which an oil spill spreads will determine its effect on the
environment.
• Most oils tend to spread horizontally into a smooth and slippery surface,
called a slick, on top of the water. Factors which affect the ability of an oil
spill to spread include
1. Surface tension
2. Specific gravity
3. Viscosity.
Surface Tension is the measure of attraction between the surface molecules of a

liquid. The higher the oil's surface tension, the more likely a spill will remain in
place. If the surface tension of the oil is low, the oil will spread even without help
from wind and water currents. Because increased temperatures can reduce a
liquid's surface tension, oil is more likely to spread in warmer waters than in very
cold waters.
Specific Gravity is the density of a substance compared to the density of water.

Since most oils are lighter than water, they lie flat on top of it. However, the
specific gravity of an oil spill can increase if the lighter substances within the oil
evaporate.
Viscosity is the measure of a liquid's resistance to flow. The higher the viscosity of
the oil the greater the tendency for it to stay in one place.

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BASIC PROPERTIES OF PETROLEUM

Oil consists of a closely related series of complex hydrocarbon compounds that

STATES OF MATTER: 3 PHYSICAL STATES – SOLID / LIQUID / GAS

MELTING: PROCESS OF CHANGE OF STATE FM SOLID TO LIQUID

EVAPORATION: CHANGE OF STATE FROM LIQUID TO GAS

SUBLIMATION: SOME SOLIDS DO NOT MELT WHEN HEATED. THEY

MELTING POINT: TEMP AT WHICH MELTING OCCURS.

BOILING POINT: A LIQUID STARTS TO BOIL WHEN ITS VAPOUR

SURFACE TENSION: THE PHENOMENON BY VIRTUE OF WHICH THE

COHESION: IT IS THE FORCE WITH WHICH LIKE MOLECULES

ADHESION: IT IS THE CONTRACTION OF UNLIKE MOLECULES. AT

SATURATED VAPOUR PRESSURE (SVP):

• DIFUSION: WHEN 2 GASES MIX THEY DIFUSE THROUGH EACH

THE PHYSICAL AND CHEMICAL PROPERTIES WHICH HAVE THE

VOLATILITY: IT IS THE TENDENCY OF A PETROLEUM PRODUCT TO

AS THE TEMP OF PETROLEUM MIXTURE RISES ITS TRUE VAPOUR

• Petroleum-based oils have a broad range of natural hydrocarbon-based

Surface Tension is the measure of attraction between the surface molecules of a

Specific Gravity is the density of a substance compared to the density of water.

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