Crude Oil & Fractional Distillation

• What process is used to separate crude oil into components?

  Fractional distillation
• What type of fuel is crude oil classified as?

  Fossil fuel
• What are the primary compounds found in crude oil?

  Hydrocarbons
• What are the most common hydrocarbons in crude oil?

  Alkanes
• How is crude oil formed?

  From remains of dead plants and animals
• What role do high pressures and temperatures play in crude oil formation?

  They convert organic biomass into crude oil
• How long does it take for crude oil to form?

  Millions of years
• Why is crude oil considered a finite resource?

  It takes a long time to form
• What are fossil fuels referred to as?

  Non-renewable fuels
• What is the first step in fractional distillation of crude oil?

  Feed the oil into a chamber and heat it
• What happens to the gaseous mixture in the fractionating column?

  It cools and condenses into liquids
• Why do longer chain hydrocarbons condense earlier in the column?

  They have higher boiling points
• What is bitumen used for?

  Surfacing roads
• What fuels are produced from shorter chain hydrocarbons?

  Diesel, petrol, and kerosene
• What does LPG stand for?

  Liquefied petroleum gas
• What are the characteristics of the hydrocarbons at the top of the column?

  They are the most flammable
• What happens to longer chain hydrocarbons that are poor fuels?

  They can be broken down in cracking
• What are petrochemicals used for?

  Raw materials for the petrochemical industry
• What products can be made from petrochemicals?

  Solvents, lubricants, polymers, detergents
• What is the process of fractional distillation of crude oil?

  1. Heat crude oil to turn it into gas
  2. Pass gas into a fractionating column
  3. Gases rise and cool, condensing at different levels
  4. Collect liquids based on boiling points
• What are the differences between short and long chain hydrocarbons in crude oil?

  • Short chain hydrocarbons:
  • Lower boiling points
  • More flammable
  • Used as fuels (diesel, petrol)

  
  

  • Long chain hydrocarbons:
  • Higher boiling points
  • Poor fuels
  • Can be cracked into smaller hydrocarbons
• What are the environmental implications of using fossil fuels?

  • Finite resource leading to depletion
  • Contributes to greenhouse gas emissions
  • Pollution from extraction and use