Crude Oil

• Crude Oil is separated into different hydrocarbon fracctions.
• Crude oil is a mixture of lots of different hydrocarbons.
• Crude oil is used to make petrochemicals (eg. Petrol, Diesel, Natural gas)
• The different compounds in crude oil are separated by fractional distillation. The oil is heated until most of it turns to gas, which enters a fractionating column. In the column, there is a temperature gradient (Hotter at the bottom, cooler at the top)
• Longer hydrocarbons have higher boiling points
• • Longer hydrocarbons are drained out of the column early on, as their high boiling points are passed, causing them to turn to liquid earlier on.
  • Shorter hydrocarbons remain as a gas for longer, and so drain out much later on.