Solubility Delivers Excellent Solutions

The secret to the success of naphthenic oils in chemical applications lies in their high solvency properties. Nynas Naphthenics Technical Director Anna Eriksson provides several examples to illustrate this. The excellent solubility performance of Nynas Naphthenic Process oils gives Nynas a competitive advantage in most of the approximately 20 application areas it serves in the chemical industry segment. Solvency properties are important for many different applications. As an example, the dissolution of resins in printing ink formulations can be cited. We tested Nynas naphthenic oils in various viscosity ranges alongside Group I paraffinic oils of equal viscosity and found clear correlations demonstrating the solvent power of these oils. The test was conducted using pour point evaluation. The pour point is the temperature at which dissolved solids can no longer remain completely dissolved in the liquid. Solvent power keeps the resin in solution. The pour point can also be used to determine the time and energy required for dissolution. Thus it is possible to evaluate the use of naphthenic or paraffinic oils by comparing their economic and environmental impacts. Naphthenic oil is the clear winner in this competition thanks to its high solvent power. Another example demonstrating the importance of solubility can be seen in antifoam agent production. When antifoam agents are produced, the active ingredient is dissolved and remains in the solution until needed. Comparative research has shown that oils with high solvent power facilitate the dissolution of active substances similar to those used in antifoams. Solvent power plays an important role in all production processes where the oil is used. High solvent power offers formulators the flexibility to use a wider range of raw materials, the opportunity to add higher quantities of active ingredients or additives, and shorter processing times. In the comparative study, oil containing 10% phenolic rosin ester resin was heated until completely dissolved, then allowed to cool until sediment (second phase) formed. The high solvent power of naphthenic oil has a major effect in this process. In the comparative study, oil containing 10% phenolic rosin ester resin was heated until completely dissolved, then allowed to cool until sediment (second phase) formed. The high solvent power of naphthenic oil has a major effect in this process.

Solubility Affinity Chain

An oil's solvent power depends in turn on the repulsive forces in that oil. These, in turn, depend on electron density, which is determined by the oil's molecular structure and bond type. Aromatic (cyclic unsaturated) hydrocarbons (a) exhibit high repulsive power because they have high electron density. However, their unsaturated nature can create unwanted reactions. Stable and harmless, naphthenic (cyclic saturated) structures (b) have higher repulsive power compared to paraffinic (straight-chain saturated) structures (c). The greater the repulsive force, the higher the solvent power.                       Anna Eriksson Technical Director Nynas Naphthenics Oils