Sour Water in Vacuum Unit

Here are some points that may be of help:

1. Crude oils contain phenols in varying proportions.

2. Phenols in crude processing are generally formed by the reaction between steam and cyclic hydrocarbons.

3. Stripped and cooled sour water is frequently sent to the crude desalters, which acting as liquid/liquid extractors, manage to transfer up to 95% of the phenols in water into the crude oil feed stream without ulterior difficulties.

4. While some naturally-occurring phenols are useful gum inhibitors, malodorous thiophenols and the more reactive alkyl phenols found in "cracked" gasolines, tend to accelerate gum formation. Therefore the normal practice is to apply prompt and thorough caustic washing to such gasolines as soon as they are produced.