JPX FAQs Vapor Phase Cleaning in Oil Refinery Turnarounds

Jayne Products’ Approach

On the Job Problem Solving

F.A.Q.s

Q-1     How is it determined if the JPX-JPX-E solution is spent?

Collect the circulating JPX/JPX-E solution in a glass jar. Tighten the lid and shake the jar vigorously. After shaking the jar, slowly rotate the jar on its side and see if the jar wall is coated with oil. If the jar wall is coated with oil, the circulating solution is spent. If the jar wall is water wet, then JPX/JPX-E solution still has emulsifying power. If the jar wall is coated with oil, then either:

a)     Drain the circulating solution and make up a fresh JPX/JPX-E solution or:

b)    Add additional JPX/JPX-E to the circulating solution.

Q-2     How much JPX/JPX-E should be added to the circulating solution?

Since this will be difficult, if not impossible, to learn the quantity of hydrocarbon contamination in the system, one way to determine how much additional JPX/JPX-E will need to be as follows:
Measure the volume of circulating JPX/JPX-E collected in the glass jar. (A-1) to this Jar, add a known quantity of JPX/JPX-E. For example: If the volume of circulating JPX/JPX-E is 400 ml, then add 0.5% of JPX/JPX-E or 2 ml. Shake the jar vigorously and see if the glass is coated with oil. If the glass is coated with oil, add another 0.5% of JPX/JPX-E and repeat the test till the oil no longer coats the glass wall. If you have used more than 1.5% to 2.0% JPX/JPX-E, then you will be better off draining the current circulating JPX/JPX-E solution and starting fresh because there is too much hydrocarbon left in the system.

Q-3     What happens if you see “mayonnaise” in the circulating solution?

Increase the temperature, if possible, to 200º to 220ºF. If that does not break the “mayonnaise”, then dilute it with water keeping the temperature between 200º-220ºF.

Q-4     How much JPX-EE to use in rinse to eliminate pyrophoric problem and how to test

            results?

Use about 5% JPX-EE in the rinse water. (this is not practical to calculate) so rule of thumb is to use a third of the total of the JPX/JPX-E that was (Vapor Phase) injected into the column. To test take a 5ml sample of rinse water and add 95ml water and 5% Potassium Permanganate to the solution. If the result shows light pink or light brown the pyrophoric material is passivated, if dark brown add another drum of JPX-EE and continue rinse.

Q-5     How long will it take for the JPX/JPX-E oil emulsion drained from the column to break.

Test by pulling a 1 liter sample in a bottle typically you will see an oil separation in less than an hour, as the sample settles and cools. To assure a more rapid separation one can add ½% calcium chloride to the effluent. For jobs greater than 25 drums used in 24 hours the drained effluent can be routed to a slop tank to provide additional separation of oil and water. Typical small jobs, the drained effluent is routed directly to the API separators of the refinery ETP unit.