Kerosene upgrading by dearomatisation (liquid SO2 extraction) What is the primary reason for dearomatising kerosene by liquid sulphur dioxide extraction?

Introduction / Context:Kerosene quality for lighting and aviation kerosene (with additional specs) emphasizes clean burning. Aromatics tend to smoke and soot; thus, removal or reduction improves performance.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• Process: liquid SO2 extraction selectively removes aromatics from kerosene.
• Target property: smoke point (height of smokeless flame).

Concept / Approach:Smoke point increases when aromatics content decreases, because paraffins and naphthenes burn with less sooting than aromatics. Dearomatisation via solvent extraction specifically reduces aromatics, directly improving smoke point. Oxidation stability improvements are more associated with antioxidant additives or hydrotreating; breathing loss primarily depends on volatility (RVP) and storage conditions.

Step-by-Step Solution:

Verification / Alternative check:Specification correlations show inverse relation between aromatics content and smoke point; solvent extraction is a recognized route to improve smoke point in illuminating kerosene.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:

• Oxidation stability may improve slightly but is not the primary goal.
• Breathing loss reduction is unrelated to aromatic extraction.

Common Pitfalls:Confusing kerosene dearomatisation with gasoline reformulation; objectives differ across products.

Final Answer:Increase its smoke point