Experimental Investigation of Wax Deposition in Model Oils Under the Influence of New Eco-Friendly Wax Inhibitors

Abstract

Abstract This research work focuses on the evaluation of novel and eco-friendly additives as pour point depressants for crude oils to improve the flow properties. Neem oil, rogan kahu, rogan khashkhash, kalonji oil and mahua oil were tested for the pour point studies on a model oil containing two different types of waxes. The study reflected that rogan khaskhas beneficiated crude oil showed highest depression in pour point i.e. up to 6 °C and 10 °C in Type 2 and Type 3 wax embedded base oils respectively, indicating the best additive amongst the five additives tested. Neem oil and rogan kahu also showed encouraging performance in Type 3 wax embedded base oil, where pour point depression was observed as 9 °C by both the additives. Mahua oil and kalonji oil are found to be very less effective in the model oil samples containing the two types of wax. Further beneficiation studies were performed for rogan khaskhas, neem oil and rogan kahu considering their pour point beneficiation which indicated viscosity reduction and wax structure modification for the three additives beneficiated oils. From the results of pour point, viscosity and polarized microscopy experiments, it was observed that rogan khashkhash performance was the best amongst the tested additives as pour point depressant and flow improver.