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[FJK]

Dear All,

I work in a refinery where we control the kerosene acidity by a caustic wash. After the kero is mixed with the caustic solution it's then washed with non-treated water and then passed trough a filter and coalescer system.

From about two years ago we started to experience a premature saturation of the filters. They now get saturated in only 30 days instead of 6 months like they used to.

We are running a test to optimize the operational conditions of this plant and extend the life of the filters. In order to do this we are:

1. Performing a caracterization of the solids encountered in the system at each equipment (HE, Vessels, Fan coolers, etc.)

2. Determining (by laboratorie tests) the optimum load of Kero, caustic solution concentration, numbers of runs (since we operate the plant on a semicontinuos way) and other propositions such as the use of demineralized water and the replacement of the filter coalescer system by a salt dryer.

I would appreciate any comments / suggestions that you could make, based on your knowledge, about the possible reasons of this premature saturation of the filters and its solutions.

Thank you

FJK