Petroleum Products: Instability And Incompatibility (Applied Energy Technology Series)

The emergence of petroleum and cheap resources of energy has led to the evolution of a variety of liquid fuels and other products. Recent trends have shown that the "quality" of the petroleum is decreasing and that refineries have had to accomodate this change. One area where such a change is particularly noticeable is in the character of the products. Differences in crude oil composition and in the nature of the products from refinery operations have all served to emphasize the issues of fuel incompatibility, as have the attempts to produce liquid fuels from unconventional sources such as coal, oil, sands and oil shale. This text provides a general overview of the chemical and physical concepts of instability and incompatibility of liquid fuels and other products. It is written for those who are just entering the field, as well as those who are already working with liquid fuels and who like a broader view.