crude oil and fuels

• Hydrocarbon


  Compound containing carbon and hydrogen only
• Crude oil formation


  Formed over millions of years from the remains of ancient biomass
• Alkanes


  • Hydrocarbons that only have single bonds
• First four alkanes


  • Methane
  • Ethane
  • Propane
  • Butane
• Chain length


  Boiling point increases, viscosity increases, flammability decreases
• Fractional distillation


  Process to separate crude oil into fractions based on boiling points
• Fraction


  Group of hydrocarbons with similar chain lengths
• Useful fuels from fractional distillation

  • Petrol
  • Diesel oil
  • Kerosene
  • Heavy fuel oil
  • Liquefied petroleum gases
• Useful materials from crude oil fractions

  • Solvents
  • Lubricants
  • Polymers
  • Detergents
• Cracking


  Breaking down a hydrocarbon with a long chain into smaller molecules
• Cracking methods


  • Steam cracking
  • Catalytic cracking
• Cracking products


  • Short chain alkanes
  • Alkenes
• Alkenes


  Hydrocarbons with a double bond
• Alkene uses


  Formation of polymers
• Alkenes vs alkanes


  Alkenes are much more reactive
• Alkene test


  Alkenes turn orange bromine water colourless