Crude Oil Flashcards
How can the parts of the crude oil mixture be separated out?
By fractional distillation in a column
How does the fractionating column work?
Crude oil is heated and piped in at the bottom, the vaporised oil rises up the column and the various fractions are tapped off constantly at the different levels where they condense.
What properties do short chain hydrocarbons have?
More runny
More volatile (turn into gas a lower temp)
More flammable
What is crude oil?
A mixture of different compounds most of which are hydrocarbons. There are no chemical bonds between the different parts of the crude oil, this means that they all keep their original properties such as their condensing point.
What can crude oil be used for?
Fuels Electricity Making chemicals Plastics Heating
What are the pros and cons of crude oil?
Pros- Can be used for a variety of things Readily available Easy Cheap More reliable
Cons-
Non renewable fuel
Risk of oil spills
Burning oil causes pollution
What causes the production of carbon dioxide and water vapour?
Fossil fuels like crude oil and gas contain hydrogen and carbon. During combustion the carbon and hydrogen are oxidised forming carbon dioxide and water.
What other gases can be produced when burning fossil fuels?
Sulphur dioxide- if the gas contains sulphur impurities they will be released as sulphur dioxide when the fuel is burnt.
Oxides or nitrogen- form when the gas is burnt at high temperatures.
Particulates and carbon monoxide- produced if there is not enough oxygen so not all of the fuel burns
How do these gases harm our environment?
Sulphur dioxide and oxides of nitrogen produces acid rain because it mixes with the clouds to form dilute sulphuric acid and nitric acid.This then falls as acid rain causing lakes to become acidic and many plants and animals to die as a result. It also kills trees and damages limestone buildings.
Increasing carbon dioxide causes climate change e.g global warming this could lead to severe flooding due to ice caps melting.
Particulates cause global dimming because they reflect light back into space or they can help to produce more clouds.
How can we reduce the harmful emissions produced by fossil fuels?
Finding alternative fuels
By removing the sulphur from fuels before a they’re burnt to reduce acid rain.
Acid gas scrubbers
What are the pros and cons of using ethanol as an alternative fuel?
Pros
Carbon neutral- it is not releasing any extra carbon dioxide into the atmosphere it is only releasing what it took in when the plant grew.
The only product is water.
Cons-
Engines need to be converted before use
Not widely available
Increase food prices because more crops are being grown for ethanol rather than for food.
How is biodiesel produced?
Produced from vegetable oils such as rapeseed oil and soybean oil, it can be mixed with ordinary diesel and used to run a Diesel engine.
Give the pros and cons of using biodiesel as a fuel.
Pros
Carbon neutral
Engines don’t need to be converted.
Less sulphur dioxide and particulates produced than ordinary diesel or petrol.
Cons
We can’t make enough to completely replay diesel.
Expensive
Increase food prices
How can hydrogen be produced to fuel vehicles?
Through electrolysis of water
Give the pros and cons of using hydrogen as a fuel.
Pros
Very clean only forms water
Cons Special expensive engine needed Not widely available Needs energy from another source to make it Hard to store
