Can you freeze crude oil

In general, low-density lower boiling point material will have a lower more desirable freezing point. Downstream capabilities View our downstream services. Insights Read our latest insight articles. Temperatures of the emulsion during freezing was recorded continuously by means of a probe which was placed centrally in the bottle. Thawing was allowed to proceed at room temperature.

Sign In or Register. Advanced Search. Sign In. Skip Nav Destination Article Navigation. Close mobile search navigation Article navigation. Volume 14, Issue Next Article. Article Navigation. April 01 Chen E. This Site. Google Scholar. A fluid's viscosity is its VI Viscosity Index or how a fluids viscosity is affected by temperature. In lubricants a high VI is desirable to maintain a relatively consistent viscosity throughout the usable temperature range.

In heat transfer fluids a lower VI is more desirable in order to allow the fluid to thin out reduce viscosity with temperature increases. The worst thing you could do would be attempting to use a system in which the oil is already frozen. This could cause serious damage to the pump and associated peripherals such as the motor and potentially any control equipment.

This is fine provided you have planned your application correctly in the first instance — so that the oils are never exposed to such low temperatures. Just as certain fluids are intended to be used at ultra-high operating temperatures others as specifically for use in low temperatures. The easiest way get the right oil for your application is to consult a specialist, who is already conversant with the temperature extremes at which each oil can operate. Cold weather can also affect oil production negatively if temperatures drop low enough.

Crude oil has a freezing point of between and degrees Fahrenheit. Crude oil is a mixture of different chemical called hydrocarbons. The boiling oil turns into a mixture of gases in the column.

The gases flow up the column which is hottest at the bottom and cooler at the top. Crude can also be thick and waxy, like this oil from Utah.

Crude oil that has a high proportion of paraffin — a type of hydrocarbon — is thick and waxy, especially at low temperatures. This is an example of a heavier crude with a much higher relative density or higher specific gravity.