A Comparative Study on the Microwave and /or Ultrasound Assisted Extraction versus the Conventional Solvent Refining of Wax Distillate

Abstract

The present work reports on the process of undesirable aromatics removal from a wax distillate fraction (b.r of 400-450 oC) using different techniques of solvent extraction. Specifically, conventional and modern solvent extraction techniques namely: microwave and ultrasound assisted extractions. The conventional route depends on the utilization of external thermal heating during the removal of aromatics. On the other hand, the modern techniques are based on the exposure of extracting system either to microwave or ultrasound radiations and also to both of them simultaneously. The introduced modern techniques through this study are totally new in the field of liquid-liquid extraction generally and refining of lubricating oil feedstock in particular.