ABSTRACT
Petroleum refining is the physical, thermal, and chemical separation of crude oil into its major
fractions that are then further processed through a series of separation and conversion steps
into finished petroleum products (Figure 29.1). The primary products of the industry fall into
three major categories: (1) fuels (motor gasoline, diesel and distillate fuel oil, liquefied
petroleum gas, jet fuel, residual fuel oil, kerosene, and coke), (2) finished nonfuel products
(solvents, lubricating oils, greases, petroleum wax, petroleum jelly, asphalt, and coke), and (3)
chemical industry feedstocks (naphtha, ethane, propane, butane, ethylene, propylene, buty-
lenes, butadiene, benzene, toluene, and xylene). These petroleum products are used as
primary input to a vast number of products, including: fertilizers, pesticides, paints, waxes,
thinners, solvents, cleaning fluids, detergents, refrigerants, antifreeze, resins, sealants, insula-
tions, latex, rubber compounds, hard plastics, plastic sheeting, plastic foam, and synthetic
fibers.
