Wax appearance temperature (WAT), defined as the temperature at which the first solid paraffin crystal appears in a crude oil, is one of the key flow assurance indicators in the oil industry. Although there are several commonly-used experimental techniques to determine WAT, none provides unambiguous molecular-level information to characterize the phase transition between the homogeneous fluid and the underlying solid phase. Molecular Dynamics (MD) simulations employing the statistical associating fluid theory (SAFT) force field are used to interrogate the incipient solidification states of models for long-chain alkanes cooled from a melt to an arrested state. We monitor the phase change of pure long chain n-alkanes: tetracosane (C24H50) and triacontane (C30H62), and an 8-component surrogate n-alkane mixture (C12-C33) built upon the compositional information of a waxy crude. Comparison to Diffusion Ordered Spectroscopy Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (DOSY NMR) results allows the assessment of the limitations of the coarse-grained models proposed. We show that upon approach to freezing, the heavier components restrict their motion first while the lighter ones retain their mobility and help fluidize the mixture. We further demonstrate that upon sub-cooling of long n-alkane fluids and mixtures, a discontinuity arises in the slope of the self-diffusion coefficient with decreasing temperature, which can be employed as a marker for the appearance of an arrested state commensurate with conventional WAT measurements.

The Malaysia petrochemical industry has continued to grow due to its dominance in the global chemical market. The consequential adverse impact on environmental aspects and resource depletion have urged the petrochemical industries to commit to sustainability-driven initiatives such as substitution with renewables and natural processes using biobased feedstock. Nevertheless, many petrochemical industries shy way from investing in such a complex and capital-intensive production process. It is anticipated that capital cost and energy cost can be reduced significantly if the functional group of biobased feedstock matches well with the composition and energy content of the end product. This perspective reviews the technical aspects of the processes for converting vegetable oil-based raw materials into the respective biobased smart drop-in and dedicated chemicals, 1,3-propanediol (1,3-PDO) and lubricant, attributed to the notable market position of Malaysia petrochemical industries for these products. Vegetable oil-based glycerol is a potential bioderived feedstock for the synthesis of 1,3-PDO. Hitherto, the biotechnological conversion process has been commercialized even though its complexity and capital cost can be further reduced by using microbial consortia, which are highly adaptable to the less stringent continuous glycerol fermentation. The comparatively simple chemical conversion process is yet to be commercialized because of impractical catalyst selectivity and stability under severe operating conditions. On another note, vegetable oils have been proven as a promising feedstock for the production of biolubricants. Despite numerous research efforts, setbacks like process complexity and unrecyclable catalysts are still restricting an economically viable large-scale production of biolubricants from vegetable oil. Palm oil which is abundantly available in Malaysia could continue to be the feasible biobased feedstock for the production of 1,3-PDO and biolubricant, provided sustainable agronomic and manufacturing practices were developed for the cultivation of oil palm and production of palm oil, respectively. With an abundant supply of biobased feedstock, the petrochemical industries, with their market position for chemical products, and the palm oil and oleochemical industries should work hand in hand to green Malaysia's economy through the acceleration of the development of sustainable business in biobased chemicals. The mutually beneficial partnership could only be promoted by the realization of relevant government policies.

Bio-based surfactants are surface-active compounds derived from oil and fats through the production of oleochemicals or from sugar. Various applications of bio-based surfactants include household detergents, personal care, agricultural chemicals, oilfield chemicals, industrial and institutional cleaning, and others. Due to the stringent environmental regulations imposed by governments around the world on the use of chemicals in detergents, as well as growing consumer awareness of environmental concerns, there has been a strong demand in the market for bio-based surfactants. Bio-based surfactants are recognized as a greener alternative to conventional petrochemical-based surfactants because of their biodegradability and low toxicity. As a result, more research is being done on producing novel biodegradable surfactants, either from renewable resources or through biological processes (bio-catalysis or fermentation). This chapter discusses the various types, feedstocks, and applications of bio-based surfactants, as well as the industrial state-of-the-art and market prospects for bio-based surfactant production. In addition, relevant technological challenges in this field are addressed, and a way forward is proposed.

Surfactant flooding is one of the successful techniques employed in enhanced oil recovery (EOR) to extract the remaining original oil in place after primary and secondary recoveries are performed. Selection of the right EOR surfactant is an important but demanding task due to a series of screening procedures that need to be executed to have a comprehensive evaluation. This article presents the experimental work done on the initial screening of ten surfactants from three different classes, namely nonionic, anionic, and amphoteric. The screening was completed with three consecutive series of testing, which are surfactant compatibility, phase behavior, and interfacial tension (IFT). Results showed that an anionic surfactant, sodium decylglucoside hydroxypropyl phosphate, passed all tests with the lowest IFT value of 8 × 10−3 mN/m at 0.1 wt% of surfactant concentration.