Fractional Distillation of Crude Oil Flashcards
What are hydrocarbons?
Hydrocarbons are basically fuels such as petrol and diesel. They’re made of just carbon and hydrogen.
What is crude oil a mixture of?
Different sized hydrocarbon molecules
Because hydrocarbons are a mixture, how are the different hydrocarbon molecules?
The different hydrocarbon molecules aren’t chemically bonded to one another - so they all keep their original properties, such as their condensing points.
Because the hydrocarbon molecules aren’t chemically bonded to eachother and thus keep their original properties, how does this mean crude oil can be split?
Split up into its more useful separated fractions by fractional distillation.
What does each fraction contain?
Molecules with a similar number of carbon and hydrogen
How does the fractionating column work?
Continuously with heated crude oil piped in at the bottom. The vaporised oil rises up the column and the various fractions are constantly tapped off at different levels where they condense.
Order of fractional distillation column
Gases Petrol Naphtha Kerosene Diesel Fuel Oil Bitumen
What is gas used for?
Cooking and heating
What is petrol used for?
Fuel for cars
What is naphtha used for?
As lighter fluid and in the chemical industry
What is kerosene used for?
Aircraft fuel
What is Diesel used for?
Fuel for lorries, trains and some cars
What is fuel oil used for?
Fuel for ships and in some power stations
What is bitumen used for?
To surface roads and roofs
The shorter the molecule, the more ?
flammable the hydrocarbon is.
