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Wild Naphtha
Abbreviation
WN | WFRN
Names
Wild Full Range Naphtha
Insight Articles
#PS828
WildNaphtha UnstabilizedNaphtha SourNaphtha CDU Hydrotreater GasPlantFeed RefineryStream
Main Product
Naphtha
Segment
Refined Products
Main-Family
Refinery Liquids
Sub-Family
Light Distll. & Proc. Hydroc.
Physical State

Liquid

Description

Wild Naphtha is an unstabilized, untreated (or freshly hydrotreated but unstripped) naphtha stream drawn from the overhead or low-pressure separator systems of crude distillation units, hydrotreaters, and hydrocrackers, characterized by its content of dissolved fuel gases (C₁/C₂), LPG-range light ends (C₃/C₄), and acid gases (H₂S, CO₂, NH₃ in sour service).

It is termed "wild" because its uncontrolled vapor pressure, corrosivity, and gaseous content make it unfit for storage, transport, blending, or downstream processing in its as-produced state. Wild naphtha is strictly an intermediate stream: it is routed to the saturated gas plant or a dedicated stabilizer/debutanizer system, where light ends are stripped overhead (to gas recovery and treating) and the stabilized bottoms emerge as debutanized/stabilized naphtha suitable for hydrotreating, reforming, blending, or cracker feed.

Typical characteristics

Property Typical Range
Boiling range C₃/C₄ through ~200 °C (source-dependent)
Dissolved gases C₁–C₄: 1–5 wt%; H₂S: up to several thousand ppm (sour CDU service)
RVP Uncontrolled; often > 20 psi (vs. ~8–12 psi stabilized)
Sulfur (sour service) 500–10,000+ ppm (CDU wild naphtha); < 1 ppm if post-hydrotreater but unstripped
Origin CDU overhead accumulator, hydrotreater/hydrocracker cold low-pressure separator

Key distinctions

  • vs. Debutanized Naphtha: wild naphtha is the feed; debutanized naphtha is the product.
  • vs. Straight-Run/Petroleum Naphtha (FRN): FRN implies stabilized, specification material; wild naphtha is its unstabilized precursor.
  • Safety note: Wild naphtha handling requires closed, pressure-rated systems — never atmospheric tankage — due to H₂S toxicity and vapor pressure.

 Identifiers  

(regulatory approximation, as for other Substances of Unknown Variable Composition 'UVCB' streams):

Field Entry
CAS Number 64741-46-4 *(Naphtha (petroleum), light straight-run — closest UVCB match for unstabilized light SR naphtha)*
EC Number 265-046-8
Chemical Formula Mixture: C₃–C₁₁ hydrocarbons + dissolved C₁/C₂, H₂S
Molecular Weight ~80–110 (mixture average)
Boiling Point C₃ (~−42 °C) through ~200 °C
Specific Gravity ~0.68–0.75
Sulfur Content 0.05–1.0+ wt% (sour); < 1 ppm if post-hydrotreater
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Title Date
Identifiers
logo CAS Number
64741-46-4
logo EC Number
265-046-8
Chemical Data
Molecular Weight (g/mol)
95
Specific Gravity
0.71
Crude Data
API Gravity
67.8
Country
Product Settings
Default
Status
A
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Transaction Name Date
Modified by UserPic   Kokel, Nicolas 10/3/2026 12:45 PM
Added by UserPic   Kokel, Nicolas 10/3/2026 12:44 PM