7.1.2 Fractional distillation of crude oil

• What method is used to extract crude oil?

  Drilling into the earth
• What are hydrocarbons made of?

  Hydrogen and carbon atoms
• Where is crude oil typically found?

  Deep underground
• How does fractional distillation separate hydrocarbons?

  By using their different boiling points
• How was crude oil formed?

  From ancient marine organisms over millions of years
• What is the role of asphalt derived from crude oil?

  Used in road construction and roofing
• What are the key differences between the distillation products in terms of their properties and uses?

  • Butane & Propane are gases used as fuels
  • Petrol, Kerosene, and Diesel are liquid fuels for transportation
  • Fuel Oil is a heavier liquid fuel for industrial/power generation use
  • Lubricating oil, Paraffin Wax, and Asphalt have non-fuel applications
• What role does the fractionating column play in fractional distillation?

  It allows vapors to condense at specific boiling points
• What is the use of Petrol?

  Car fuel
• What is the purpose of a fractionating column in fractional distillation?

  To separate hydrocarbons by boiling points
• What is the purpose of the fractionating column in the apparatus?

  The fractionating column is used to separate the mixture into its component parts.
• How do the proportions of the main petroleum products compare to each other?

  • Gasoline is the largest segment at 43%
  • Heating Oil/Diesel Fuel is the second largest at 23%
  • Kerosene-Type Jet Fuel, Coke, and Heavy Fuel Oil make up smaller but significant portions
  • The remaining products make up smaller, single-digit percentages
• Which fractions can be obtained from crude oil through fractional distillation?

  Petrol, diesel, and kerosene
• What are the temperature zones in a fractionating column?

  Hottest at the bottom, coolest at the top
• How does the temperature at which crude oil is heated in the furnace relate to the distillation process?

  • The crude oil is heated to 400°C in the furnace to vaporize the different hydrocarbon components, which are then separated by fractional distillation based on their boiling point ranges.
• What occurs to lighter fractions like gasoline in the fractionating column?

  They condense at specific temperatures
• What are the fractions obtained from crude oil and their uses?

  • Butane & Propane: Cooking gas
  • Petrol: Car fuel
  • Kerosene: Jet fuel
  • Diesel: Car fuel
  • Fuel Oil: Power stations
  • Asphalt: Road surfacing
• What is the main component of the apparatus shown in the image?

  The main component of the apparatus is a HEATER.
• If a refinery produces 5,000 barrels of Gasoline per day, how many barrels of Heating Oil/Diesel Fuel would it produce?

  1,150 barrels
• How do the percentages of gasoline and heating oil/diesel fuel compare in crude oil?

  Gasoline is significantly higher at 43%
• How does the temperature range of each product relate to its boiling point?

  • The temperature range for each product corresponds to its boiling point range, with lower boiling point products like gases and light liquids having lower temperature ranges, and higher boiling point products like heavy oils and waxes having higher temperature ranges.
• What process is used to obtain fractions from crude oil?

  Fractional distillation
• Why does crude oil need to be processed?

  To separate its different components into useful fractions
• How does the N2 line attached to the bubbler help in the operation of the apparatus?

  The N2 line attached to the bubbler helps to provide an inert atmosphere for the apparatus.
• What is the function of the "Y" adaptor in the apparatus?

  It allows the connection of the N2 line to the bubbler
• Where are heavier fractions located in the distillation column?

  At the bottom
• How does the condenser in the apparatus help in the separation process?

  It cools the vapors to condense them back into a liquid
• What is the use of Butane and Propane?

  Cooking gas
• What happens to the components of crude oil during fractional distillation?

  They vaporize and pass up a fractionating column
• What is the use of Kerosene?

  Jet fuel
• How does temperature vary in a fractionating column?

  It ranges from hottest at the bottom to coolest at the top
• What is heating oil/diesel fuel used for?

  Heating and vehicles
• What is the temperature range for Fuel Oil?

  370 °C
• What are some other products derived from crude oil?

  • Asphalt (3%)
  • Liquefied refinery gases (5%)
  • Petrochemical feedstock (9%)
  • Smaller fractions: coke and lubricants
• What is the first step in fractional distillation?

  Heating crude oil to a high temperature
• What type of mixture is being separated in the apparatus?

  A mixture with a stirbar
• What are the relative proportions of the main petroleum products in the refinery output?

  • Gasoline: 43%
  • Heating Oil/Diesel Fuel: 23%
  • Kerosene-Type Jet Fuel: 9%
  • Coke: 5%
  • Heavy Fuel Oil: 4%
  • Liquefied Refinery Gases: 3%
  • Still Gas: 3%
  • Asphalt: 2%
  • Petrochemical Feedstock: 2%
  • Lubricants: 2%
  • Kerosene: 1%
  • Other: 1%
• What are the main uses of fractions obtained from crude oil?

  • Fuels for energy production
  • Feedstock for creating plastics and chemicals
• What is the temperature range for Diesel?

  300 °C
• What is the temperature range for Petrol?

  150 °C