What You Need to Know
A visbreaker is a processing unit in an oil refinery whose purpose is to minimize the quantity of residual oil produced in the distillation of crude oil and to increase the yield of more valuable middle distillates by the refinery. A visbreaker thermally cracks large hydrocarbon molecules in the oil by heating in a furnace to lower its viscosity and to produce small quantities of light hydrocarbons.. The process name of "visbreaker" refers to the fact that the process lowers the viscosity of the residual oil. The process is non-catalytic.
Steps
- 1.
Fuel oil production (Global refinery operations): Reduces viscosity for easier handling
- 2.
Bitumen modification (Road construction industry): Improves asphalt workability
- 3.
Marine fuel blending (Shipping industry): Creates intermediate viscosity fuels