Light Liquid Paraffin (LLP)
Light Liquid Paraffin (LLP), Kerosene, or lamp oil is a combustible hydrocarbon liquid which is derived from petroleum.Light Liquid Paraffin Applications
LLP, Kerosene, or lamp oil is a combustible hydrocarbon liquid which is derived from petroleum. It is widely used as a fuel in aviation as well as households. The term paraffinum perliquidum is sometimes used to denote light liquid paraffin, while the term paraffinum subliquidum is sometimes used to denote a thicker mineral oil. LLP is widely used to power jet engines of aircraft (jet fuel) and some rocket engines in a highly refined form called RP-1. It is also commonly used as a cooking and lighting fuel, and for fire toys such as poi. In parts of Asia, LLP is sometimes used as fuel for small outboard motors and motorcycles. The Worlds total LLP consumption for all purposes is equivalent to about 190,000 cubic metres per day.
As Fuel
LLP / Kerosene is widely used in Japan and Chile as a home heating fuel for portable and installed kerosene heaters. In Chile and Japan, kerosene can be readily bought at any filling station or be delivered to homes. In the United Kingdom and Ireland, kerosene is often used as a heating fuel in areas not connected to a gas pipeline network.
Cooking
In countries such as India and Nigeria, LLP / Kerosene is the main fuel used for cooking, especially by the poor, and LLP / Kerosene stoves have replaced traditional wood-based cooking appliances. As such, increase in the price of LLP / Kerosene can have a major political and environmental consequence. The Indian government subsidizes the fuel to keep the price very low, to around 15 U.S. cents per liter as of February 2007, as lower prices discourage dismantling of forests for cooking fuel. In Nigeria an attempt by the government to remove a fuel subsidy that includes kerosene met with strong opposition.
Engines
LLP / Kerosene is used to fuel smaller-horsepower outboard motors built by Yamaha, Suzuki, and Tohatsu. Primarily used on small fishing craft, these are dual-fuel engines that start on gasoline and then transition to LLP / Kerosene once the engine reaches optimum operating temperature. Multiple fuel Evinrude and Mercury Racing engines also burn kerosene, as well as jet fuel.
Today, LLP / Kerosene is mainly used in fuel for jet engines in several grades. One highly refined form of the fuel is known as RP-1, and is often burned with liquid oxygen as rocket fuel. These fuel grade kerosenes meet specifications for smoke points and freeze points.
In Chemistry
LLP / Kerosene is used as a diluent in the PUREX extraction process, but it is increasingly being supplanted by dodecane. In X-ray crystallography, Light Liquid Paraffin / Kerosene can be used to store crystals. When a hydrated crystal is left in air, dehydration may occur slowly. This makes the color of the crystal become dull. Kerosene can keep air away from the crystal.
In Industry
As a petroleum product miscible with many industrial liquids, LLP / Kerosene can be used as both a solvent, able to remove other petroleum products, such as chain grease, and as a lubricant, with less risk of combustion when compared to using gasoline. It can also be used as a cooling agent in metal production and treatment (oxygen-free conditions).
Other Oil Types
EN590
EN590 is the current standard for all automotive diesel fuel sold in the European Union member states. It is published by the European Committee for Standardization and it describes the physical properties of the fuel.
Heavy Fuel Oil
Heavy fuel oil is a residual fuel incurred during the distillation of crude oil. The quality of the residual fuel depends on the quality of the crude oil used in the refinery. A key differentiator of heavy fuel oils is their sulfur content.
Light Cycle Oil
Light Cycle Oil (LCO) is the diesel boiling range material, which is produced in addition to gas and petrol in the Fluid Catalytic Cracking Unit (FCCU). LCO is treated in the diesel hydrotreater (DHT) unit to produce low sulphur
Napha
Naphtha is produced primarily from the distillation of crude oil and is the intermediate product between the light gases and the heavier kerosene. It can also be a component of natural gas condensates.
Petoke
As refineries worldwide seek to operate more efficiently and extract more gasoline and other high value fuels from each barrel of crude oil, a solid carbon material known as petcoke is produced.