3.2 Alkanes Flashcards
What is petroleum?
A mixture made up of alkane hydrocarbons.
How do you separate petroleum?
Fractional distillation.
Outline the steps of fractional distillation.
- Crude oil is vaporised.
- It is passed into a fractioning column.
- The mixture of hydrocarbons will condense at different fractions in the column, as it is cooler at the top and hotter at the bottom of the column.
- Shorter hydrocarbon chains condense at the top, whereas longer ones condense at the bottom.
What is the order of hydrocarbons from shortest to longest in petroleum?
- Gases
- Gasoline
- Kerosene
- Waxes
- Fuel Oil
- Bitumen
What is the cracking of alkanes?
When long-chain hydrocarbons are broken down into shorter chain hydrocarbons.
Why do we crack alkanes?
Shorter chain alkanes and alkenes are more useful than long-chain alkanes, so they are broken down for economic benefits.
What are the two methods of cracking?
- Catalytic cracking
2. Thermal cracking
What are the conditions of catalytic cracking?
- 720K lower temp.
- Lower pressure (>1atm).
What is the yield of catalytic cracking?
- Aromatic compound
- Cycloalkanes
Which catalysts are used in catalytic cracking?
Zeolites (silicon dioxide)
What are the features of zeolites?
- Big surface area
- Acidic
- Honeycomb structure
What are the conditions of thermal cracking?
- A high temp (1200K)
- A high pressure (7000kPa)
What is the yield of thermal cracking?
- High % of alkanes
- Produces some alkenes
What is formed by the complete combustion of alkanes?
Carbon dioxide & water
What is formed by the incomplete combustion of alkanes?
- Carbon monoxide & water
2. Carbon particulates & water