It is a hydrocarbon mixture, effused when the boiling point of crude oil reaches the range of 35~220℃. It is also called heavy gasoline.
Naphtha is similar to gasoline. When crude oil is distilled, it is effused between the LPG and kerosene cut, and when it is used as feedstock in the petrochemical industry, it is called naphtha. It is mostly used as feedstock for the petrochemical industry, and part of it is used to make fertilizers or public gas by synthesizing ammonia.
Naphtha, used as main feedstock for the petrochemical industry, is classified into the light naphtha, whose boiling point is 35~130℃; heavy naphtha, whose boiling point is 130~220℃; and full-range naphtha, containing both these two types of naphtha.
Naphtha is used as feedstock for pyrolysis (NCC) to produce ethylene, propylene, butadiene, benzene, toluene and xylene that are basic feedstock for petrochemistry. They are in turn used to make a wide range of products including synthetic resins, synthetic rubber, synthetic fiber, dye and medicine.
Naphtha is mostly composed of mixtures that have 5~12 carbons.
| Carbon configuration of naphtha | Number of carbons | Saturated hydrocarbon name |
|---|---|---|
| c-c-c-c-c | 5 | PENTANE |
| c-c-c-c-c-c | 6 | HEXANE |
| c-c-c-c-c-c-c | 7 | HEPTANE |
| c-c-c-c-c-c-c-c | 8 | OCTANE |
| c-c-c-c-c-c-c-c-c | 9 | NONANE |
| c-c-c-c-c-c-c-c-c-c | 10 | DECANE |
| c-c-c-c-c-c-c-c-c-c-c | 11 | UNDECANE |
| c-c-c-c-c-c-c-c-c-c-c-c | 12 | DODECANE |