Fractional distillation of crude oil Flashcards
1
Q
what is crude oil a mixture of?
A
many different compounds not chemically bonded to each other, most of the compounds are hydrocarbon molecules
2
Q
what are hydrocarbons?
A
fuels such as petrol and diesel, made of carbon and hydrogen
3
Q
what happens to the mixture as a result of the molecules not being chemically bonded?
A
they keep their original properties, such as their condensing points. the properties of a mixture are a mixture of the properties of the separate parts
4
Q
how can the parts of ma mixture be separated out?
A
fractional distillation
5
Q
how does the fractionating column work?
A
heated crude oil is piped in at the bottom, the vaporised oil rises up the column and the various fractions are constantly tapped off at the different levels where they condense
