Crude Oil

Question 1

What is crude oil?

Answer 1

a mixture of hydrocarbons

Question 2

What type of resource/fuel is crude oil?

Answer 2

a finite source: not infinite and will run out
non-renewable fuel: can’t be reused/recycle

Question 3

Why must we separate crude oil?

Answer 3

when it is taken out of the ground we must separate all the hydrocarbons through fractional distillation since they all have different properties and uses

Question 4

What is fractional distillation?

Answer 4

process to separate all types of hydrocarbons in crude oil in a fractionating column with different temperatures since they all have different boiling points

Question 5

Describe the process of fractional distillation

Answer 5

1. feed oil the chamber and heat it until most of its turned to gas
2. pass the gaseous mixture into fractionating column
3. the gases will rise up the column and when they reach the region with a lower temperature than their bp they will condense into a liquid.

Question 6

What is the fractionating column like?

Answer 6

it is very hot and the bottom and colder at the top.

Question 7

What type of hydrocarbons leave at which part of the fractionating column?

Answer 7

the longer carbon chain hydrocarbons have the highest boiling points and will quickly condense into a liquid and drain out the column early since the column isn’t hot enough at the top to keep them in a gaseous state

shorter chain hydrocarbons will stay longer and go higher until they reach a cool enough temperature that they can condense into a liquid

some hydrocarbons are so short they stay as a gas the whole time (LPG)

Question 8

Which area is the most flammable in the fractionating column?

Answer 8

chambers towards the top are most flammable so they are used for fuels

Question 9

Why aren’t the longer chain hydrocarbons used as fuels, and how can they be used?

Answer 9

since they are longer they don’t burn as easily for combustion so they are broken down into shorter chain alkanes by a process called cracking

Question 10

What are all chambers in the fractionating column for and their purposes?

Answer 10

bitumen - road surfacing
heavy fuel oil - fuel for ships
diesel - fuel for trucks
kerosene - fuel for airplanes
petrol/gasoline - fuel for cars
refinery gases - bottle gas