Section 2 - Alkanes and Halogenoalkanes Flashcards
What are alkanes?
Saturated hydrocarbons
Give the general formula for alkanes:
CnH2n+2
What is the general formula for cycloalkanes?
CnH2n
What is crude oil/petroleum made up of?
A mixture of hydrocarbons - mostly alkanes.
How do you separate crude oil?
Through fractional distillation
Describe the process of fractional distillation:
- Crude oil vaporised at 350oc
- Oil goes into a fractioning column which is hot at the bottom and cool at the top
- The various alkanes have diff bpts and condense off at different levels
- The alkanes with the lowest bpts don’t condense and leave the top of the column as gases
- The alkanes with the highest bpts don’t vaporise and form a gooey residue at the bottom
For each fraction, give the number of carbons and uses:
Gases
1-4 carbons
liquified petroleum gas, camping gas
For each fraction, give the number of carbons and uses:
Petrol - 400c
5-12 carbons
petrol
For each fraction, give the number of carbons and uses:
Naphtha - 110oc
7-14 carbons
processed to make petrochemicals
For each fraction, give the number of carbons and uses:
Kerosene (paraffin) - 180oc
11-15 carbons
jet fuel, petrochemicals, central heating fuel
For each fraction, give the number of carbons and uses:
Gas oil (diesel) - 250oc
15-19 carbons
diesel fuel, central heating fuel
For each fraction, give the number of carbons and uses:
Mineral Oil - 340oc
20-30 carbons
lubricating oil
For each fraction, give the number of carbons and uses:
Residue - Fuel Oil
30-40 carbons
ships, power stations
For each fraction, give the number of carbons and uses:
Residue - Wax, grease
40-50 carbons
candles, lubrication
For each fraction, give the number of carbons and uses:
Residue - Bitumen
50+ carbons
roofing, road surfacing
What is cracking?
Breaking long-chain alkanes into smaller hydrocarbons (including alkenes) by breaking the C-C bonds.
Give the features of thermal cracking:
- takes place at high temp (up to 1000oc)
- takes place at high pressure (up to 70 atm)
- produces a lot of alkenes
Give the features of catalytic cracking:
- uses a zeolite catalyst
- uses a high temp (around 450oc)
- slight pressure (1-2 atm)
- produces a lot of aromatic hydrocarbons and motor fuels
What is an advantage of thermal cracking?
Alkenes are used to make lots of valuable products like polymers (plastics).
What is an advantage of catalytic cracking?
Using a catalyst cuts costs because it lowers the temperature and pressure required
It also speeds up the reaction saving time and money
What is a combustion reaction?
Burning hydrocarbons with plenty of oxygen to produce carbon dioxide and water.
What is complete combustion?
When enough oxygen is available that only carbon dioxide and water are produced
What is incomplete combustion?
When not enough oxygen is available to react with the fuel so harmful by-products are produced
Give an advantage and disadvantage of burning fossil fuels:
Produces a lot of energy BUT produces lots of pollutants
Why is it bad when carbon monoxide is produced during incomplete combustion?
- it is poisonous
- it binds to the same sites on haemoglobin molecules in red blood cells as oxygen molecules so oxygen can’t be carried round the body
What is a solution to the production of carbon monoxide?
Catalytic converters can remove CO from exhaust gases in cars