Fuels + Hydrocarbons Flashcards
What is crude oil?
Crude oil is a complex mixture of different hydrocarbon compounds of various sizes.
What are hydrocarbons?
Hydrocarbons are compounds that contain only hydrogen and carbon atoms.
What is the physical state of crude oil?
It is a thick, sticky, black liquid found in porous rock under the ground and under the sea.
What do hydrocarbon molecules in crude oil consist of?
They consist of a carbon backbone, which can be in a ring or chain, with hydrogen atoms attached.
What is the primary use of crude oil?
Crude oil is the primary source of hydrocarbons used for producing fuels such as petrol and diesel.
What is crude oil’s role in the petrochemical industry?
It is a primary source of raw materials (feedstock) for the petrochemical industry.
Why is crude oil considered a finite resource?
Crude oil formed over millions of years and is being used up much faster than it is being formed.
What are some products obtained from crude oil?
Products include polymers, lubricants, solvents, detergents, and adhesives.
What is fractional distillation?
It is a process used to separate the different fractions of crude oil based on boiling points.
How does temperature affect the separation of crude oil fractions?
As you move up a fractionating column, the temperature decreases, allowing compounds with higher boiling points to condense lower down.
What are the main fractions obtained from crude oil?
The main fractions include refinery gases, gasoline, kerosene, diesel, fuel oil, and bitumen.
What trend is observed in the properties of hydrocarbons?
Properties such as boiling point, viscosity, and flammability depend on the size of the hydrocarbon molecules.
What is the relationship between molecular size and boiling point?
As molecular size increases, boiling points also increase due to greater intermolecular forces.
What is viscosity?
Viscosity refers to the ease of flow of a liquid, which increases with chain length in hydrocarbons.
What is complete combustion?
Complete combustion occurs when there is excess oxygen, producing carbon dioxide and water.
What is incomplete combustion?
Incomplete combustion occurs with insufficient oxygen, producing carbon monoxide, soot, and water.
What is sulfur dioxide and its environmental impact?
Sulfur dioxide is a colorless gas that contributes to acid rain and is produced from the combustion of fossil fuels.
How is acid rain formed?
Acid rain forms when sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides mix with rainwater, creating sulfuric and nitric acids.
What are nitrogen oxides and how are they formed?
Nitrogen oxides are formed when nitrogen and oxygen react under high pressure and temperature, such as in combustion engines.
What is the function of catalytic converters?
Catalytic converters reduce pollutant gases in car exhausts through a series of redox reactions.
What is the reaction of hydrogen with oxygen?
2H2 + O2 → 2H2O
What are the advantages of hydrogen as a fuel?
It releases more energy per kilogram than any other fuel (except for nuclear fuels) and does not pollute as it only produces water on combustion.
What are the disadvantages of hydrogen as a fuel?
Expensive to produce and requires energy for production; difficult and dangerous to store and move around.
What is the main constituent of natural gas?
Methane, CH4
