Dirty Naphtha
Naphtha products may suddenly assume a yellowish cast and then return to a normal water-white condition. If this proves to be a recurring problem, the difficulty is probably water in the top reflux.
First, obtain a sample of the reflux naphtha. Does it contain free water? If so, manually drain the water from the reflux drum until hydrocarbons blow out of the drain. About 30 minutes of water-free refluxing should clear up the dirty naphtha. A malfunctioning reflux drum water-naphtha interface level control valve is often the culprit. Perhaps the steam stripping rate has been increased, and the water drain line cannot handle the increased flow.
Categories: Process Troubleshooting | Tags: Naphtha | Leave a comment