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What is odorless kerosene? And how is it processed?
 
Answers
18/07/2010 A: RENE AGA, SECOT, renelaga@telefonica.net
Odorless kerosene is desulfurised and dearomatised kerosene. This is done by catalytic hydrodesulfurisation and by hydrogenation of aromatic hydrocarbons. It is used as solvent or stove oil.
12/07/2010 A: keith bowers, B and B Consulting, kebowers47@gmail.com
Odorless Kerosene is a specification found in markets where it is used in home cooking with open flame and lighting with 'Aladdin' type vaporizing kerosene lamps with a ash mantle (gives off white light, no smoke). These kerosene fueled appliances usually vent combustion products directly into the room air.
As indicated by the name, it does not have any offensive odor either when open to room air and temperature or when vaporized and burned.
This specification fundamentally precludes there being any diolefins, most olefins, H2S, Mercaptan, Disulfide or thiophenic sulfur compoundsor any nitrogenous compounds in the kerosene as these impurities often create noxious odors during vaporization and open combustion.
Before the advent of hydrotreating, odorless kerosene was made from 'sweet' crudes and was often steam stripped or treated with sulfuric acid to remove olefinic and sulfurous compounds. Only select crudes could be used to produce odorless kerosene (and Stoddard Solvent-a naphtha used for dry cleaning and with similar requirements).
Modern hydrotreating operations can usually produce the odor free and very low sulfur and nitrogen levels needed to satisfy the odorless requirements. Sometimes a final steam stripping is needed to remove tiny amounts of H2S remaining in the kerosene--but the 'copper strip' corrosion test would fail in any case if the sample was properly obtained so the H2S would not escape during handling.