High viscosity paraffinic oil preparation for vacuum pump

The high viscosity paraffin oil used in vacuum pumps was prepared from base oil grade 150, produced by Dora refinery, Baghdad, Iraq. Due to the specific requirements of the oil used in these pumps, two methods were used, one of which separated the paraffin hydrocarbons using a column packed with two types of separating materials aluminium and silicon oxides. The second method includes the hydrogenation of raw materials in the presence of the catalyst under experimental conditions. In comparison, from the specifications of the prepared oil with that of paraffin oil (99.99%) and the standard white oil NC2, which are used for the same purpose, the results showed a great similarity in addition to the high purity of the prepared oil for both examined procedures. However, the hydrogenation path gives better results by showing high viscosity index, high resistance to thermal oxidation and low acidity and carbon residues. The present study provides new data on the production of a superior paraffinic oil for vacuum pumps.