Chapter 11 Flashcards
What are the main uses of crude oil
1.Transportation
2. Energy sectors ( electricity generation)
3. Producing plastics
Explain the process of evaporation
Energy is added to liquid causing to to heat up and reach its boiling point, more energy is added and eventually the bonds are broken causing a change in state from liquid to gas
Explain the process of condensation
A gas has energy removed from it when the temperature is reduced to the boiling point. Energy continues to be removed causing bonds to be made between molecules. The material is changing state from a gas to a liquid at the same temperature. As the material continues to lose energy it is in the liquid state and the temperature falls
What does crude oil extracted from the ground consist of
Hydrocarbon molecules
How does the length of hydrocarbons affect its physical properties
Short hydrocarbons are more volatile and make better fuels
Long hydrocarbon are less volatile resulting in poorer fuels
Explain the process of fractional distillation
Crude oil is heated upon entry to a heating furnace such that all lengths of hydrocarbons are evaporated into a gaseous state.
The hydrocarbons then enter the fractioning tower. Some of the longer hydrocarbons are condensed at the very bottom of the tower and become residue that can be used for road surfacing. All the hydrocarbons then rise up the tower and at certain points change from gas to liquid and fall out due to gravity
What are the 8 byproducts of fractional distillation in order
- Residue- bitumen
- Fuel oil- heating oil
- Lubricating oil- engine oil
- Diesel- Diesel engines
- Kerosene- aeroplane fuel
- Naphtha- plastics
- Petrol- petrol engines
- Propane and butane
What is the main problem with plastics derived from crude oil
Take decades to break down naturally meaning they cause pollution and can destroy environment
How can we protect the environment from plastic pollution
Increase the quantities of plastic recycled
Make plastics degrade quicker
Why is burning plastic not a viable option to get rid of it
It releases harmful substances such as carbon monoxide, hydrogen cyanide and hydrochloric acid
State 2 uses of biodegradable plastics and describe them
- Food packaging
2.plastic films- used to reduce number of weeds in crops and increases crop yield also prevents excessive water loss through evaporation
State 2 uses of photodegrading plastics
- Plastic films- can increase crop yields and reduce the number of weeds also reduce water loss through evaporation
- Slow release fertiliser- adds nutrients to crops
What is meant by biodegradable plastics
These are plastics that are designed to break up when exposed to natural micro-organisms. They are usually made from natural byproducts.
What is meant by photodegrading plastics
These are plastics that degrade quicker due to uv rays due to the manufacturing process being altered
What type of plastic degrades quicker in the presence of oxygen
Oxo biodegradable plastics
How can plastics be made more degradeable due to thermal and photodegredation
During the manufacturing process chemicals can be added to the long chain hydrocarbon molecules. These chemical break down easier when exposed to UV light. When broken down they attack the hydrocarbon polymer and break it down.
What are 3 uses of compostable plastics
Can be used to improve soil composition as they contain useful nutrients that the soil can absorb
Can be used as plastic film to cover crops, this increases crop yield and decreases the amount of weeds
Can be used as plastic film to maintain higher temperature in winter and conserve moisture
What does BPE stand for and how is it manufactured
Bioderived polyethylene
It is manufactured by using a starchy substance such as maze or corn that is treated with yeast to produce ethanol by fermentation. Ethanol is purified and undergoes dehydration to form ethene. Ethene undergoes addition polymerisation to form bioderived polyethylene
How can we make the manufacturing of plastics more sustainable
In the manufacturing process we can use things like plants and other resources in stead of fossil fuels that pollute the atmosphere
We can also make the plastics more biodegradable by adding additives like d2w that cause the plastic to degrade quicker when exposed to oxygen. Or chemicals that degrade quicker and break the hydrocarbon bonds when exposed to UV LIGHT
We can also use bio plastics that don’t need crude oil to be produced this will increase the lifespan of crude oil and means there are no issues when extracting crude oil from volatile nations
How can we make the use of plastics more sustainable
We can cut down on the use of single use plastics and reuse them more thus means there will be less pollution in the environment
We can also recycle more plastic and give it another use. Effective recycling reduces the need for more crude oil or biomass. It also reduces the plastic to landfill and our oceans
