Naphtha
Naphtha
Naphtha is a flammable liquid hydrocarbon mixture. Mixtures labeled Napththa have been produced from natural gas condensates, petroleum distillates, and the distillation of coal tar and peat.
In different industries and regions “Naphtha” may also be crude oil or refined products such as kerosene. Mineral spirits, also historically known as “naphtha”, are not the same chemical. Nephi and Naphthar are sometimes used as a synonym. White gas, exemplified by Coleman Camp Fuel, is common naphtha–based fuel used in many lanterns and torches.
It is the most abundant single component of coal tar. Although the composition of coal tar varies with the coal from which it is produced, typical coal tar is about 10% of it by weight. In industrial practice, a distillation of coal tar yields an oil containing about 50% naphthalene, along with twelve other aromatic compounds.
This oil, after being washed with Aqueous Sodium Hydroxide (NaOH) to remove acidic components (chiefly various Phenols (C6H5OH), and with Sulfuric Acid (H2SO4) to remove basic components, undergoes fractional distillation to isolate it. The Crude Naphthalene resulting from this process is about 95% Naphthalene (C10H8) by weight.
The chief impurities are the Sulfur (S) – containing aromatic compound Benzothiophene (C8H6S) (<2%), Indane (C6H4(CH2)3) (0.2%), Indene (C9H8) (<2%), and Methylnaphthalene (CH3C10H7) (<2%). Petroleum–derived naphthalene is usually purer than that derived from coal tar. Where required, crude naphthalene can be further purified by crystallization from any of a variety of solvents, resulting in 99% naphthalene by weight, referred to as 80°C (melting point). Approximately 1.3 million tons are produced annually.
In different industries and regions “Naphtha” may also be crude oil or refined products such as kerosene. Mineral spirits, also historically known as “naphtha”, are not the same chemical. Nephi and Naphthar are sometimes used as a synonym. White gas, exemplified by Coleman Camp Fuel, is common naphtha–based fuel used in many lanterns and torches.
It is the most abundant single component of coal tar. Although the composition of coal tar varies with the coal from which it is produced, typical coal tar is about 10% of it by weight. In industrial practice, a distillation of coal tar yields an oil containing about 50% naphthalene, along with twelve other aromatic compounds.
This oil, after being washed with Aqueous Sodium Hydroxide (NaOH) to remove acidic components (chiefly various Phenols (C6H5OH), and with Sulfuric Acid (H2SO4) to remove basic components, undergoes fractional distillation to isolate it. The Crude Naphthalene resulting from this process is about 95% Naphthalene (C10H8) by weight.
The chief impurities are the Sulfur (S) – containing aromatic compound Benzothiophene (C8H6S) (<2%), Indane (C6H4(CH2)3) (0.2%), Indene (C9H8) (<2%), and Methylnaphthalene (CH3C10H7) (<2%). Petroleum–derived naphthalene is usually purer than that derived from coal tar. Where required, crude naphthalene can be further purified by crystallization from any of a variety of solvents, resulting in 99% naphthalene by weight, referred to as 80°C (melting point). Approximately 1.3 million tons are produced annually.
