Fractional Distillation of Crude Oil

Question 1

What does a mixture consist of?

Answer 1

Two (or more) elements or compounds that aren’t chemically bonded to eachother.

Question 2

What is crude oil a mixture of?

Answer 2

Crude oil is a mixture of many different compounds- most of which are hydrocabon molecules.

• no chemical bonds between the mixture and the hydrocarbon molecules are not chemically bonded to each other.
• means they all keep up their original properties (such as condensing point)

Question 3

What are hydrocarbons?

Answer 3

Fuels such as petrol and diesel. They are made of carbon and hydrogen.

Question 4

What are the properties of a mixture?

Answer 4

A mixture of the properties of the seperate particle.

Question 5

How can the parts of a mixture be seperated?

Answer 5

By physical methods.

For example:

Crude oil can be split up into separate fractions by fractional distillation. Each fraction contains molecules with similar number of carbon atoms to eachother.

Question 6

How does fractional distillation work?

Answer 6

The fractioning column works continuously, with heated crude oil piped in at the bottom. The vapourised oil rises up the column and the various fractions are constantly tapped off at different levels where they condense.