Prediction method for the Paraffinic Wax Crystal Size Distribution in Solvent Dewaxing Process

A steady state 1-D model was implemented for conventional solvent dewaxing unit. The coupled equations for heat transfer and population balance were solved numerically to obtain the wax crystal size distribution, wax volume fraction along a double pipe scraped surface heat exchangers and chillers that used solvent dewaxing process. The prediction of the mixture physical properties based on the adjustment of the selected higher carbon number as a solid wax and the light ones as liquid by using n-alkanes solubility model. The crystal growth kinetics constants were fitted by the removal wax mass fraction which was obtained experimentally by using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) technique. Also, the DSC analysis involved the dissolved temperature, onset crystallization temperature, and the wax content as the main input parameters to the model for the Crystal Size Distribution prediction in Solvent Dewaxing. The developed numerical model was proved to be capable to predict wax crystal characteristics for different operating conditions of such complex process.