Crude Oil

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Coal and Crude Oil Formation

Fractional Distillation

• A method of separating fractions of crude oil
  • Crude oil: all unprocessed oil, a mixture of hydrocarbons with different chain lengths
  • Fractions: a group of hydrocarbons with a similar length chain
• The longer the molecule, the greater the intermolecular forces, therefore the greater amount of energy required to break the bonds
• Crude oil fractions
  • Refined gas
  • Petrol
  • Naphtha
  • Wax
  • Bitumen

Steps

1. Crude oil is heated in a furnace
2. The heated crude oil, mostly in a vapour state, is pumped into the column and travels very fast due to its energy
3. The column has a heat gradient, and decreases in temperature going up, with the very bottom being very hot
4. The constituents that have higher boiling points will collect at lower points and condense, while substances with lower boiling points will rise higher and condense at higher points due to the higher areas being cooler (increasing boiling points)
   1. Gas
   2. Petrol
   3. Naphtha
   4. Kerosene
   5. Diesel
   6. Bitumen
5. Shorter chain molecules have lower boiling points and will therefore reach the higher area
6. The condensations are collected