Crude oil
Formation
1. Plankton die and fall to the bottom of the sea
2. Sediemnts build up on the plankton over millions of year, heat and pressurise them, turns
the plankton into oil
3. Crude oil rises up though porous rock
4. Crue oil becomes trapped by non-porous ruck
5. Crude oil is collected by drilling though layers of rock
What is crude oil?
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Crude oil is made almost entirely from hydrocarbons.
Hydrocarbons only contain only Carbon and Hydrogen
How is crude oil separated?
1. The crude oil evaporated
2. The vaporised crude oil will enter the fractionating column
3. As it cools it will either collect on meshes or rise until it cools to a liquid
The longer the chains the more intermolecular bonds you have and the higher the boiling point
There is a temperature gradient so the hydrocarbons with high boiling points will condensate at the
lower, hotter, areas.
What is crude oil
How does the size of the hydrocarbons affect
its properties
A mix of hydrocarbons at different chain lengths
Small
Big
hydrocarobons hydrocarbons
Boiling
Lower
Higher
points
Flammability Higher
Lower
Clenliness of Cleaner
Dirtier
flame
Viscosity
Lower
Higher
Gas - Cookers
Petrol - Cars
Kerosene - Aircraft
Diesel – Trains, cars, lorries
Heavy fuel Bitumen – Road surface
Crude oil is a mixture of hydrocarbons. What is a mixture? What are hydrocarbons?
A mixture is a collection of different molocules, hydrocarbons only contain hydrogen and carbon
The hydrocarbons have different properties. Which of these properties does separtoin by fractional
distaillation depend on?
Boiling point
Two hydrocarbons include decane and pentane. Decane has a larger size
Decane has a higher boiling point
Pentane is more runny
Pentane catches fire more easlity
Decane burns with the smokier flame
Pentane collects higher up the fractionating column
Kerosene is a fraction of crude oil used for aeroplanes. Is kerosene a pure substance or a mixture.
Kerosene is a mixture as it is separated based on having a range of sizes, and not all of the liquid is
identical