Describe how True Boiling Point (TBP) distillation data is used to determine the cut points for different refinery products.

True Boiling Point (TBP) distillation is a laboratory technique that separates crude oil into different fractions based on their boiling points. The data generated from TBP distillation is crucial for determining the cut points for different refinery products, which are the specific boiling point ranges that define each product. The TBP distillation provides a detailed boiling point distribution of the crude oil, showing the percentage of the oil that boils at various temperatures. This data is plotted as a TBP curve, which is a graph showing the cumulative volume percent distilled versus temperature. Refinery products, such as naphtha, gasoline, kerosene, diesel, and fuel oil, each have specific boiling point ranges defined by industry standards and market demands. For example, gasoline typically has a boiling point range of approximately 30°C to 200°C, while diesel may range from 200°C to 350°C. To determine the cut points for these products, refiners use the TBP curve to identify the temperatures that correspond to the desired volume percentages for each fraction. If a refiner wants to produce a gasoline fraction that constitutes 25% of the crude oil, they would identify the temperature on the TBP curve at which 25 volume percent has been distilled. This temperature becomes the upper boiling point limit (end point) for the gasoline fraction. The lower boiling point limit (initial boiling point) is similarly determined based on the desired properties and specifications of the product. The TBP data allows refiners to optimize the yields of different products based on the composition of the crude oil and the market demand for each product. The cut points determined from TBP distillation are then used to set the operating conditions in the distillation columns of the refinery, such as the temperature and pressure of the column, to achieve the desired separation of the crude oil into different product streams. Simulated distillation (SimDist) using gas chromatography is a common alternative to TBP, providing a faster and more automated method for obtaining boiling point distribution data.