Determination of oxygenated compounds such as MTBE and aromatic compounds like benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylenes (btex) in gasoline, because of environmental effects and maximum contaminant level measurement, is vital. A GC/FTIR instrument capable of performing selected wavelength chromatogram (SWC) is used for separation and quantitation of unresolved peaks in a complex mixture matrix. The most important advantage of this technique is the simultaneous determination of oxygenated and aromatic compounds. The other advantage of this technique is elimination of interferences and matrix peaks.

One of the most important parameters which is used before refining and precepitating asphaltene is the investigation of the quantitation and precipitation process of asphaltene. As a matter of fact, the magority of heavy end distillates is related to asphaltene composition. In this article, the effects of different volumes of solvents such as n-pentane, n-hexane, and n-heptane on the precipitation of asphaltene at different temperatures were investigated. Standard deviations of n-heptane, n-hexane, and n-pentane in the separation of asphaltene at the boiling point and ambient temprature of solvent are (0.25, 0.99), (0.89, 1), and (0.92, 1.2) respectively.

Investing on the production of any goods and service will end to unproductive results without carrying out feasibility studies. The first and most primary step is to precisely research the pertinent market. Defining the potential capacity as well as demand elasticity need to recognize the nodes and routes of the entire supply and demand network. This paper is an extract from a comprehensive project in industrial and automotive oil market research, which has been accomplished within fall of 2004 to spring of 2005 by the Research Institute of Petroleum Industry, unit of Market Researches. A parametric mathematical model is introduced to feasibly express the production capacity of oil-lubricants to be invested.

The economics of furnaces in on-site heat generation applications often depends on the effective use of the thermal energy contained in the exhaust gas system, which generally represents considerable amounts of the inlet fuel energy. Most of the waste heat is available in the stack exhaust. The most common use of this heat can be to generate high/low pressure steam for process use or to generate electrical power. To generate steam from flue gases, Waste Heat Boilers (WHBs) are widely used in processes and refineries. They use the energy heating of flue gas with high temperature and high rate to generate steam and reduce fuel consumption and emission characteristics. In this paper, we do the pre-feasibility study of WHB in North Isomax unit of Tehran Refinery in order to find potentials for steam generation from energy recovery of the exhaust flue gases through five existing furnaces. The results show that about 18.5 ton per hour steam with 3.6 years payback can be generated.

Due to high opacity, non-toxicity, and stability of TiO2 powder, it can be used in different coating and hygienic industries. Also, the application of these particles is not restricted to these fields and their photo-catalytic properties can lead to some surprising properties and very useful applications. This paper will present an overview of the history and mechanism of photo-catalytic properties of TiO2 nano-particles. The main reason for the preference for TiO2 against other semiconductors will be presented; some typical examples of the uses of TiO2-based coatings for air and water purification, production of antibacterial tiles, and self-cleaning surfaces for anti-fog mirrors applied in automotive, cosmetic, and hygienic industries will also be discussed in this paper.

The Gaussian Plume Model (GPM) is widely used to predict the concentration of pollutants in the atmosphere. There are significant simplifications with the GPM. The assumptions used to derive the GPM should be understood in order to predict the uncertainties associated with modeling results. In this work, a sensitivity study was performed by assuming reasonable degrees of error in some of the key variables used in the GPM and determining the end results. It was shown that minor changes in some of the key parameters of GPM can result in a propagated over-prediction factor up to 30. Also, in using the GPM, a range of values for the vertical dispersion coefficient should be considered in determining the maximum possible concentration at ground level.

Bandar-e Imam Petrochemical Complex uses sodium chloride in chlor-alkali unit, which is prepared by solar evaporation of Persian Gulf water in ponds. The residue liquor, after separation of sodium chloride and bittern, contains valuable chemicals such as potash and magnesium chloride.In this paper, a process for extracting potassium sulfate from Persian Gulf bittern is described. This process can recover this valuable compound from the waste of chlor-alkali unit. This method is friendlier to the environment than Mannheim process. The process temperature is 50°C and its by-product is magnesium chloride that can be used in pharmaceutical and construction industry. The disadvantages of Mannheim process include high energy consumption, severe corrosion, and high capital cost.

The Gaussian Plume Model (GPM) is widely used to predict the concentration of pollutants in the atmosphere. There are significant simplifications with the GPM. The assumptions used to derive the GPM should be understood in order to predict the uncertainties associated with modeling results. In this work, a sensitivity study was performed by assuming reasonable degrees of error in some of the key variables used in the GPM and determining the end results. It was shown that minor changes in some of the key parameters of GPM can result in a propagated over-prediction factor up to 30. Also, in using the GPM, a range of values for the vertical dispersion coefficient should be considered in determining the maximum possible concentration at ground level.

Acidizing is one of the methods used for the stimulation of carbonate reservoirs to improve oil production. Hydrochloric acid (HCl) is the most common acid for acidizing these reservoirs. Since fast reaction of this acid with calcite components of carbonate formations damages them, the effect of HCl should be retarded by acid retarders. This gives the acid the ability to penetrate more deeply into the formation, which will enhance well performance. In this research, a Bangestan core was taken from south of Iran and an evaluation system was designed based on the weight loss of rock samples. Experiments were carried out under dynamic conditions at 25 and 58°C using a commercial and a designed acid retarder in the presence of 15 and 28 wt% HCl emulsified acid respectively, and the effect of acid concentration and temperature were investigated. The results show that increasing temperature inversely affects the retarding characteristics of the above two retarders. The high dissolution of rock samples (14.5-16.5%) in 28% HCl emulsified acid shows that such a concentration as well as higher ones is a critical condition for carbonate reservoirs and damage them. Comparison of the amounts of rocks weight loss also shows that 15% HCl is normally preferred over 28% HCl in matrix acidizing of carbonate reservoirs.

One of the most important parameters which is used before refining and precepitating asphaltene is the investigation of the quantitation and precipitation process of asphaltene. As a matter of fact, the magority of heavy end distillates is related to asphaltene composition. In this article, the effects of different volumes of solvents such as n-pentane, n-hexane, and n-heptane on the precipitation of asphaltene at different temperatures were investigated. Standard deviations of n-heptane, n-hexane, and n-pentane in the separation of asphaltene at the boiling point and ambient temprature of solvent are (0.25, 0.99), (0.89, 1), and (0.92, 1.2) respectively.

Seismic behavior of shear waves passing through an anisotropic media and related velocity changes and variations are new challenges for geo-researchers. Shear wave splitting which is the main known result of passing the shear waves through an anisotropic media can provide very useful information about the characteristic of the anisotropic medium. In this study, the effects of shear stress on shear wave splitting and characteristic of split components like amplitude and frequency spectrum have been compared on a sample from an oil field in South-West Iran. The results of this ultrasonic test on a carbonate sample show that the amplitude of perpendicular component (Normal to the shear stress direction) will increase when we increase the amount of shear stresses. This may be used to detect the orientation of the anisotropies and/or on the other hand with enough information about the anisotropies some characteristic of stress field may be estimated.

Research Institute of Petroleum Industry (RIPI) is among the research institutes which, due to its goals and objectives (namely leadership and planning of scientific studies; technical and laboratory activities; and basic and applied research) is expanding its fields of activity. This gradual expansion affirms the fact that RIPI, as the current economic and political symptoms of the society also show, should accept the required fundamental changes matching its nature in the value chain. A move towards change and improvement in this scientific-research institute can also be seen at the present time. Among these signs, we may address the attempts to develop a proper communication structure. The present paper is the outcome of a research project in this field which was carried out in RIPI.