Petrochemical Course

Lesson 1 • Hydrocarbon Feedstocks and Sources

Examines crude oil, natural gas, and natural gas liquids as primary feedstocks. Links feedstock composition to downstream product selection.

Lesson 2 • Regulatory and Safety Framework Basics

Introduces process safety principles, environmental obligations, and regulatory compliance concepts relevant to petrochemical operations. Prepares learners for safety content in later chapters.

Lesson 3 • Major Product Families and Applications

Introduces olefins, aromatics, synthesis gas, and polymers as core product families. Connects each family to real-world industrial and consumer applications.

Lesson 4 • Petrochemical Value Chain Structure

Maps the progression from primary feedstocks through intermediates to end-use products. Clarifies integration points between refining and chemical manufacturing.

Lesson 1 • Reaction Kinetics and Catalysis

Explains rate laws, activation energy, and catalyst function in industrial reactions. Directly supports understanding of reactor selection and optimisation.

Lesson 2 • Organic Chemistry Essentials

Reviews hydrocarbon classes, functional groups, and nomenclature critical to petrochemical work. Provides the chemical language used throughout the course.

Lesson 3 • Phase Behaviour and Thermophysical Properties

Addresses vapour-liquid equilibria, equations of state, and mixture properties for hydrocarbon systems. Underpins separation process design covered in later chapters.

Lesson 4 • Reaction Types and Mechanisms

Covers cracking, reforming, alkylation, and polymerisation reaction classes. Connects mechanism understanding to process design choices.

Lesson 1 • Catalytic Cracking and Hydrocracking

Covers FCC and hydrocracking unit design, catalysts, and product slates. Shows how cracking units generate olefin-rich streams for petrochemical use.

Lesson 2 • Catalytic Reforming and Naphtha Processing

Details catalytic reforming to produce high-octane reformate and aromatic-rich streams. Connects reformer output directly to BTX extraction for petrochemicals.

Lesson 3 • Crude Oil Distillation Principles

Explains atmospheric and vacuum distillation column operation and cut-point control. Establishes the primary separation step feeding all downstream units.

Lesson 4 • Refinery-Petrochemical Integration Strategies

Examines how refineries and petrochemical plants share feedstocks, utilities, and infrastructure. Introduces integrated complex optimisation concepts.

Lesson 1 • Propylene Production Routes

Examines propylene sources beyond steam cracking, including PDH, metathesis, and FCC propylene recovery. Addresses the propylene supply gap and on-purpose production.

Lesson 2 • Cracker Product Fractionation

Details the separation train that recovers ethylene, propylene, butadiene, and pyrolysis gasoline. Connects separation efficiency to product purity and yield.

Lesson 3 • Energy Integration in Olefin Plants

Analyses heat recovery, refrigeration systems, and utility optimisation in steam crackers. Demonstrates how energy efficiency directly affects production economics.

Lesson 4 • Butadiene and C4 Stream Processing

Covers extractive distillation for butadiene recovery and C4 hydrogenation options. Links C4 processing decisions to downstream synthetic rubber and chemical markets.

Lesson 1 • Downstream Aromatic Derivatives

Surveys key derivatives including styrene, cumene, cyclohexane, and PTA. Links aromatic intermediates to polymer and fibre end markets.

Lesson 2 • BTX Extraction Technologies

Examines liquid-liquid extraction and extractive distillation processes for benzene, toluene, and xylene separation. Compares solvent systems and their performance trade-offs.

Lesson 3 • Xylene Isomerisation and Separation

Details para-xylene recovery via adsorption and crystallisation, and xylene isomerisation to restore equilibrium. Connects para-xylene production to PTA and polyester markets.

Lesson 4 • Aromatic Feedstock Preparation

Covers pyrolysis gasoline hydrogenation and reformate fractionation to prepare aromatic-rich feeds. Establishes feed quality requirements for extraction units.

Lesson 1 • Compressors, Pumps, and Rotating Equipment

Addresses centrifugal and reciprocating compressors, pump selection, and mechanical seal systems. Emphasises reliability and condition monitoring for critical rotating machinery.

Lesson 2 • Reactors and Catalytic Systems

Covers fixed-bed, fluidised-bed, and tubular reactor configurations used in petrochemical plants. Connects reactor type selection to reaction kinetics and heat management needs.

Lesson 3 • Heat Exchangers and Fired Heaters

Covers shell-and-tube, plate, and air-cooled exchanger design and fouling management. Addresses fired heater efficiency, burner control, and tube failure prevention.

Lesson 4 • Distillation Columns and Separation Equipment

Examines tray and packed column internals, reboiler and condenser configurations, and column control strategies. Directly supports understanding of product fractionation systems.

Lesson 1 • Synthesis Gas and Methanol Derivatives

Examines steam methane reforming, methanol synthesis, and downstream derivatives including formaldehyde and acetic acid. Links syngas chemistry to C1 chemical value chains.

Lesson 2 • Ethylene Oxide and Glycol Production

Details silver-catalysed ethylene oxidation and ethylene glycol hydration processes. Connects EO/EG production to polyester, antifreeze, and surfactant markets.

Lesson 3 • Polypropylene and Polyolefin Processes

Examines bulk, gas-phase, and slurry PP processes and their catalyst systems. Addresses isotactic, atactic, and syndiotactic polymer structure effects on properties.

Lesson 4 • Polyethylene Manufacturing Technologies

Covers high-pressure, slurry, gas-phase, and solution polymerisation routes for LDPE, HDPE, and LLDPE. Connects process choice to polymer properties and end-use performance.

Lesson 1 • Occupational Health and Industrial Hygiene

Examines exposure limits, personal protective equipment, and health monitoring programmes for chemical workers. Establishes the human health protection layer of HSE management.

Lesson 2 • Environmental Emissions and Waste Management

Covers air emissions control, wastewater treatment, and solid waste minimisation in petrochemical plants. Links environmental performance to regulatory compliance and community relations.

Lesson 3 • Sustainability and Carbon Footprint Reduction

Introduces carbon accounting, energy efficiency programmes, and circular economy principles for petrochemicals. Prepares learners to contribute to decarbonisation strategies.

Lesson 4 • Process Hazard Analysis Methods

Covers HAZOP, What-If, FMEA, and fault tree analysis techniques for identifying process risks. Equips learners to participate in and lead structured hazard reviews.