Solvents

Overview

Solvents are high-purity, volatile liquid hydrocarbons derived from the lighter fractions of crude oil during refining. At Zeeland Refinery, we produce a range of aliphatic hydrocarbon solvents, engineered to meet industrial performance standards across sectors like chemicals, coatings, and pharmaceuticals.

Our solvents are known for their evaporation control, clean extraction properties, and compatibility with regulatory and safety frameworks in the EU.

Production Process

Distillation & Fractionation
Solvents are extracted from the light distillate streams during the atmospheric distillation of crude oil. Careful temperature control ensures separation of specific carbon chain lengths ideal for solvent applications.
Refining & Stabilization
The solvent cut may undergo additional processing — such as hydrotreatment, merox sweetening, or filtration — to reduce aromatics, sulfur, and other impurities to trace levels.
Purity Control
Zeeland solvents are produced to achieve industrial and chemical-grade purity, with attention to boiling range, volatility, odor, and flash point.

Key Characteristics

- - High Purity Levels
    Meets strict industrial-grade specifications with minimal sulfur, water, and aromatic content.
  - Controlled Volatility
    Solvents are engineered for precise evaporation rates, enhancing performance and safety in industrial use.
  - Regulatory Compliance
    Zeeland solvents comply with EU REACH, CLP, and VOC emission limits for solvent-containing products.
  - Safety Certified
    Supplied with full MSDS documentation, hazard classifications, and recommended safe handling

Applications

Paints, Coatings & Adhesives
Used as carriers and thinners in varnishes, lacquers, sealants, and adhesives for industrial and consumer markets.

- Industrial Cleaners & Degreasers
  Solvents effectively dissolve oils, greases, waxes, and polymers in mechanical, aerospace, and electronic cleaning applications.
- Pharmaceuticals & Agrochemicals
  Serve as extraction agents and reaction media in drug synthesis and pesticide formulation.
- Printing Inks & Dyes
  Volatile solvents help control drying time and flow characteristics in printing processes.

Distribution & Packaging

Barrels & IBC Totes
Delivered in 200L drums, 1,000L intermediate bulk containers (IBCs), or bulk packages for industrial use.

- Tanker Truck Shipments
  For high-volume customers, solvents are delivered in dedicated liquid tankers under temperature- and vapor-controlled conditions.
- End Users
  Sold to chemical manufacturers, industrial blenders, and product formulators in the Netherlands, Belgium, and Germany.

Reference Summary

Attribute	Specification
Fuel grades	HFO (RMG), MGO (DMA)
Sulfur content	≤ 0.5% (IMO 2020), ≤ 0.1% (ECA)
Energy content	~40–41 MJ/kg
Main uses	Marine propulsion, industrial heating
Standards compliance	ISO 8217:2017, IMO 2020, EU MARPOL Annex VI
Delivery modes	Marine tanker, port bunkering, bulk export
Export hub	Van Cittershaven