What Does
Feedstock Mean?
Feedstock refers to raw materials (input) fed into a process for conversion into something different (output). For example, crude oil is a feedstock in a refining process which produces gasoline (petroleum). Contents of feedstock are sources of forms of corrosion, leading to failure of processing equipment.
Feedstock is also known as raw material.
Corrosionpedia Explains Feedstock
Feedstock is raw material for a processing or manufacturing. As feedstock, the term connotes it is a bottleneck asset critical to the production of other products. For example, crude oil is a feedstock raw material providing finished products in the fuel, plastic, industrial chemical and pharmaceutical industries. The term “raw material” is used to denote material is in an unprocessed or minimally processed state, such as raw latex, coal, raw biomass, iron ore, logs, crude oil, air or seawater.
A refinery feedstock is product or a combination of products derived from crude oil and destined for further processing other than blending in the refining industry. It is transformed into one or more components and/or finished products.
Sulfur is generally present as an impurity in fuels or feedstock, which may cause corrosion of processing equipment. It causes problems in cracking and refining, and may produce H2S and SO2, which may cause sulfide stress corrosion cracking and lower fuel quality.
Normally, crude oils are not used directly as fuels or as feedstock for the production of chemicals. This is due to the complex nature of the crude oil mixture and the presence of some impurities that are corrosive or poisonous to processing catalysts. Crude oils are refined to separate the mixture into simpler fractions that can be used as fuels, lubricants, or as intermediate feedstock to the petrochemical industries.