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• What is crude oil primarily composed of?

  A mixture of different hydrocarbons
• How does fractional distillation separate crude oil?

  By different boiling points of hydrocarbons

  
• What are the steps involved in fractional distillation of crude oil?

  1. Mixture is vaporized and fed into the column
  2. Vapors rise, cool, and condense
  3. Products are siphoned off for different uses

  
• Where are products with short carbon chains collected in the fractionating column?

  At the top of the column
• Why do products with long carbon chains condense at the bottom of the column?

  They have higher boiling points
• What happens to the compounds collected from the fractionating column?

  They are broken down via cracking
• What is the purpose of cracking in hydrocarbon processing?

  To form smaller, more useful molecules
• What are the two main types of cracking and their characteristics?

  1. Thermal Cracking:

  • High temperatures (~1200 K)
  • High pressures (~7000 kPa)
  • Produces alkanes and alkenes

  1. Catalytic Cracking:

  • Lower temperatures (~720 K)
  • Normal pressure
  • Uses zeolite catalyst
  • Produces aromatic compounds
• Why are alkanes considered good fuels?

  They release a lot of energy when burned
• What products are formed during complete combustion of alkanes?

  Carbon dioxide and water
• What occurs during incomplete combustion of alkanes?

  Carbon monoxide is produced
• What is a toxic product of alkane combustion?

  Carbon monoxide
• What is the function of a catalytic converter?

  To convert harmful products into stable ones

  
• What catalyst is used in catalytic converters?

  Rhodium
• What are carbon particulates and their impact?

  Small fragments causing respiratory problems
• What is flue gas desulfurization used for?

  To remove sulfur impurities from waste

  
• What chemicals are used in flue gas desulfurization?

  Calcium oxide and gypsum

  
• What environmental issues can pollutants contribute to?

  Global warming, acid rain, and health issues
• What happens when alkanes react with halogens in UV light?

  They produce halogenoalkanes

  
• What are the steps in the chlorination of alkanes?

  1. Initiation: Halogen bonds break, forming free radicals
  2. Propagation: Hydrogen is replaced, regenerating radicals
  3. Termination: Two radicals join to form stable products
• What is the role of free radicals in the chlorination of alkanes?

  They initiate and propagate the reaction
• How can the conditions of the chlorination reaction be altered?

  To favor the termination step
• What is the first step in fractional distillation of crude oil?

  Oil is pre-heated
• How does the fractional distillation column separate fractions?

  Fractions condense at different heights
• What happens to the temperature in the fractional distillation column?

  The temperature decreases upwards
• What does the separation in fractional distillation depend on?

  It depends on boiling point
• What determines the boiling point of hydrocarbons?

  Boiling point depends on size of molecules
• How do van der Waals forces relate to molecular size?

  Larger molecules have larger van der Waals forces
• What type of molecules condense together in fractional distillation?

  Similar molecules condense together
• Where do small molecules condense in the column?

  Small molecules condense at the top
• Where do big molecules condense in the column?

  Big molecules condense at the bottom
• What is the nature of the process of fractional distillation?

  • It is a physical process
  • Involves splitting of weak van der Waals forces
• What is the purpose of a vacuum distillation unit?

  To distill heavy residues under a vacuum
• How does lowering pressure affect boiling point?

  It lowers the boiling point
• Why is vacuum distillation advantageous?

  It separates heavier fractions without high temperatures
• What is petroleum primarily composed of?

  Alkane hydrocarbons
• What is a petroleum fraction?

  A mixture of hydrocarbons with similar chain length
• What is the boiling point of petrol/gasoline?

  Approximately 20°C
• What is the boiling point of kerosene (jet fuel)?

  Approximately 180°C
• What is the purpose of fractional distillation in the laboratory?

  To separate liquids with different boiling points