PONA number
Encyclopedia
The PONA number is an index for oil components. It is used to determine the paraffin
s (P), olefins (O), naphthenes (N) and aromatics content of FCC (fluid catalytic cracking
) and coker (visbreaker
) gasoline
.
The PONA number is significant in determining the quality of naphtha. There are various grades of naphtha produced depending on the PONA specifications, such as 60/15, 65/12, 70/10, etc. The first number is the minimum allowable total parafins percentage and the second number specifies the maximum allowable aromatics percentage. It also determines the price of naphtha in international markets.
Paraffin
In chemistry, paraffin is a term that can be used synonymously with "alkane", indicating hydrocarbons with the general formula CnH2n+2. Paraffin wax refers to a mixture of alkanes that falls within the 20 ≤ n ≤ 40 range; they are found in the solid state at room temperature and begin to enter the...
s (P), olefins (O), naphthenes (N) and aromatics content of FCC (fluid catalytic cracking
Fluid catalytic cracking
Fluid catalytic cracking is the most important conversion process used in petroleum refineries. It is widely used to convert the high-boiling, high-molecular weight hydrocarbon fractions of petroleum crude oils to more valuable gasoline, olefinic gases, and other products...
) and coker (visbreaker
Visbreaker
A visbreaker is a processing unit in oil refinery whose purpose is to reduce the quantity of residual oil produced in the distillation of crude oil and to increase the yield of more valuable middle distillates by the refinery...
) gasoline
Gasoline
Gasoline , or petrol , is a toxic, translucent, petroleum-derived liquid that is primarily used as a fuel in internal combustion engines. It consists mostly of organic compounds obtained by the fractional distillation of petroleum, enhanced with a variety of additives. Some gasolines also contain...
.
The PONA number is significant in determining the quality of naphtha. There are various grades of naphtha produced depending on the PONA specifications, such as 60/15, 65/12, 70/10, etc. The first number is the minimum allowable total parafins percentage and the second number specifies the maximum allowable aromatics percentage. It also determines the price of naphtha in international markets.
See also
- Crude oil assayCrude oil assayA crude oil assay is essentially the chemical evaluation of crude oil feedstocks by petroleum testing laboratories. Each crude oil type has unique molecular, chemical characteristics. No crude oil type is identical and there are crucial differences in crude oil quality...
- SARASaturate, Aromatic, Resin and AsphalteneSaturate, Aromatic, Resin and Asphaltene is an analysis method that divides crude oil components according to their polarizability and polarity. The saturate fraction consists of nonpolar material including linear, branched, and cyclic saturated hydrocarbons . Aromatics, which contain one or...