One of the most important and key intermediate products in the petroleum refining industry is Naphtha.
This product is used as the main feedstock in petrochemical refining units, including steam cracking,
catalytic conversion, and isomerization. Different types of naphtha cuts are produced in refinery
processes and supplied to the market.
Naphtha consists of hydrocarbons with 5 to 12 carbon atoms, and their boiling points range from 30 to
200 degrees Celsius. This means that if we heat crude oil from 30 degrees to 200 degrees Celsius and
separate the vaporized part, naphtha will be obtained. Typically, 15 to 30 percent of crude oil boils at this
temperature, so this amount of crude oil can be directly converted into naphtha. Naphtha is generally
known and supplied in the market in two types: light naphtha (hydrocarbons with 5 and 6 carbons) and
heavy naphtha (hydrocarbons with 6 to 12 carbons).
As mentioned, naphtha is one of the most important feedstocks used in the petrochemical industry. In
crude oil refineries, naphtha is usually used as feedstock in units such as catalytic reforming and
isomerization to produce reformate and isomerates, which are blended in gasoline pools and used as
fuel.
It is also important to note that petrochemical complexes produce light olefins (ethylene, propylene,
butadiene, and butylenes) and aromatics (benzene, toluene, xylene) in basic processes such as steam
cracking and catalytic reforming. The feedstock for these units is also light and heavy naphtha