File:Naphthensäure.svg
Example of a naphthenic acid

Naphthenic acids (CAS: 1338-24-5 )are unspecific mixtures of several carboxylic acids in which the alkyl chain is connected to one or more saturated cyclopentyl or cyclohexyl groups. The main fraction are carboxylic acids with a carbon backbone of 9 to 20 carbons. Salts of naphthenic acids, which are naphthenates, can cause processing problems in oil/gas production, but are also used as hydrophilic sources of metal ions in diverse applications.[1]

Preparation and occurrence

They are obtained by oxidation of the naphtha fraction of the crude oil refining. The composition varies with the crude oil composition and the conditions during refining and oxidation.[2] Naphthenic acids are present in crude oil and leads to corrosion problems within the oil refineries, therefore "naphthenic acid corrosion" phenomena are well researched.[3][4] Crude oils with a high content of naphthenic acids are often referred to as high TAN (Total Acid Number) crude oils or high acid crude oil (HAC). The High TAN Crude Conference was first organized in 2005 and ran until at least 2011.[5]

Naphthenic acids are the major contaminant in water used for extraction of oil from tar sands.[6] Naphthenic acids have both acute and chronic toxicity to fish and other organisms.[6]

Metal naphthenates

Naphthenates are the salts of naphthenic acids. Analogous to the corresponding acetate, which are better defined but less useful, metal naphthenates are coordination complexes. They have the formula M(naphthenate)2 or are basic oxides with the formula M3O(naphthenate)6. The naphthenates are highly soluble in organic media, such as paints. They have industrial applications including synthetic detergents, lubricants, corrosion inhibitors, fuel and lubricating oil additives, wood preservatives, insecticides, fungicides, acaricides, wetting agents, and oil drying agents used in painting and wood surface treatment. Industrially useful naphthenates include those of magnesium, calcium, barium, cobalt, copper, lead, manganese, nickel, vandyl, and zinc.[1]

See also

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 Angelo Nora, Alfred Szczepanek, Gunther Koenen, "Metallic Soaps" in Ullmann’s Encyclopedia of Industrial Chemistry 2005 Wiley-VCH, Weinheim. doi:10.1002/14356007.a16_361
  2. Script error
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  4. "Article with details concerning naphthenic acid corrosion". http://www.arabschool.org/pdf_notes/20_REFINING_OF_KUWAITS_HEAVY_CRUDE_OIL.pdf.
  5. [1], High TAN Crude Conference, Singapore, 2011.
  6. 6.0 6.1 [2], Allen, E. W. (2008). Process water treatment in Canada’s oil sands industry: I. Target pollutants and treatment objectives. Journal of Environmental Engineering and Science, 7(2), 123–138. doi:10.1139/S07-038.

External links