fractionator
Petroleum refining tower
A fractionator is industrial equipment that separates a mixture into its component parts based on differences in boiling points—essentially a large-scale distillation column.
Oil refineries use fractionators to separate crude oil into gasoline, diesel, kerosene, and other petroleum products.
The term appears mainly in technical and industry contexts: The fractionator processes thousands of barrels daily.
Vertical structural element
- trayShallow portable platform
- internalsInner components or organs
- refluxBackward liquid movement
- strippingRemoving outer layers
overhead · bottoms · feed · packing · diameter · height · reboiler · condenser
Unpolished, raw state
- petroleumNatural underground hydrocarbon liquid
- hydrocarbonAll-carbon-and-hydrogen compound
- naphthaVolatile petroleum-derived solvent
- gasolineRefined petroleum vehicle fuel
kerosene · diesel · atmospheric · cracking · catalytic · thermal · alkylation · reformer
Simplest alkene, C₂H₄
- propyleneUnsaturated three-carbon hydrocarbon
- butadieneConjugated four-carbon diene
- aromaticsScent-giving substances
- benzeneAromatic hydrocarbon solvent
toluene · xylene · paraffins · isomerization · cryogenic · extractive · purification · feedstock
Purification via vaporization
- separationState of being apart
- vaporGaseous form of liquid
- liquidFree-flowing substance
- equilibriumState of balance
volatility · pressure · efficiency · rectification · enrichment · depletion · flash · vaporization
column
Vertical structural element
stripping · overhead · bottoms · feed · packing · diameter · height · reboiler · condenser · weir
crude
Unpolished, raw state
- petroleumNatural underground hydrocarbon liquid
- hydrocarbonAll-carbon-and-hydrogen compound
- naphthaVolatile petroleum-derived solvent
gasoline · kerosene · diesel · atmospheric · cracking · catalytic · thermal · alkylation · reformer · splitter
ethylene
Simplest alkene, C₂H₄
- propyleneUnsaturated three-carbon hydrocarbon
- butadieneConjugated four-carbon diene
- aromaticsScent-giving substances
benzene · toluene · xylene · paraffins · isomerization · cryogenic · extractive · purification · feedstock · intermediate
distillation
Purification via vaporization
- separationState of being apart
- vaporGaseous form of liquid
- liquidFree-flowing substance
equilibrium · volatility · pressure · efficiency · rectification · enrichment · depletion · flash · vaporization · condensation
fractionatorcombiner
Something that joins elements
blender · mixer · reactor · synthesizer · amalgamator
fractionatorblender
Motorized food puréeing appliance
homogenizer · mixer · emulsifier · agitator · stirrer