Glossary
Glossary
| Term | Definition |
| Asphaltenes | A fraction present in vacuum residuum characterized by a molecular weight of several thousand. The majority of organo-metallic compounds, particularly vanadium and nickel, are concentrated in the asphaltene fraction. |
| Catalytic Reforming | A process that uses platinum catalysts, which can be poisoned and deactivated by sulfur, to process oil stocks. |
| Cobalt Molybdate | A desulfurization catalyst (CoO · MoO₃) developed by Union Oil Company, noted for its high activity, abrasion resistance, and heat stability. |
| Devolatilization | A process, also known as carbonization, that can be used to create a low-sulfur char from coal, often utilizing a fluidized bed reactor. |
| Ebbulated Bed Reactor | A reactor design used in the H-Oil process where catalyst particles are suspended in a liquid phase with gas bubbling through. This back-mixed, isothermal design prevents coking and allows for continuous catalyst replacement. |
| GO-Fining Process | A process designed for the desulfurization of vacuum gas oils (VGO). It uses a fixed bed reactor to treat VGO, which is then reblended with vacuum bottoms to produce a lower-sulfur fuel oil. |
| H-Oil Process | A process developed by Cities Service for desulfurizing residual oils using an ebbulated bed reactor to overcome the difficulties associated with fixed bed systems. |
| Haines Process | A dry bed absorption-catalytic conversion process for removing sulfur from sour natural gas using zeolites (molecular sieves). |
| Hydrodesulfurization | The removal of sulfur from fossil fuels by a catalytic reaction with hydrogen to form hydrogen sulfide (H₂S). |
| Isomax Processes | A broad spectrum of fixed bed desulfurization and hydrocracking processes (e.g., RCD, RDS, CDS Isomax) capable of handling a wide range of crude and residual feedstocks. |
| Modified Claus Process | A dry bed catalytic conversion process used to remove sulfur from acid gas streams (containing 15-100 mole % H₂S) that have been extracted from a main sour gas stream. |
| Petroleum Coke (PC) | A byproduct of oil refining that can be burned with other fossil fuels. It is characterized by high sulfur, high vanadium, and low ash content. |
| Pyritic Sulfur | A form of inorganic sulfur found in coal, which can be removed to some extent by physical cleaning methods like washing or magnetic separation. |
| Quad | A unit of energy measurement standing for a quadrillion (10¹⁵) BTUs. Total U.S. fossil fuel consumption in 1980 was about 76 quads. |
| Solvent Refined Coal (SRC) | A reconstituted coal product that has been dissolved, filtered to remove ash and pyritic sulfur, and separated from its solvent. It is low in ash and sulfur and has a high heating value. |
| Townsend Process | A liquid media absorption process that uses an aqueous solution of an organic solvent to simultaneously sweeten, dehydrate, and convert H₂S in sour gas to elemental sulfur. |
| Vacuum Gas Oil (VGO) | A mid-distillate fraction produced by fractionating atmospheric residuum in a vacuum. It is a feed for processes like GO-Fining. |
| Vacuum Residuum | The heavy bottoms product from a vacuum distillation unit, nominally a 975°F+ oil. It contains asphaltenes and high concentrations of sulfur and metals. |
| Zeolites | Also known as molecular sieves, these are materials used in the Haines Process to absorb hydrogen sulfide from sour natural gas. |