Separation of alkanes by fractional distillation.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TSb_fmyuZX4

Uses of alkane

Fuels, starting materials for production of whole range of organic molecules

What is crude oil a mixture of

Straight and branched chain alkanes.

2 Key points to understand fractional distillation

Longer chain alkanes have a higher boiling point than shorter chain alkanes.

If we take an alkane as a gas and cool it below its boiling point, it will condense to liquid

What are the stages of fractional distillation of crude oil

Crude oil heated in furnace, temp of furnace is hot enough to boil alot of these alkanes

The crude oil vapours and liquid pass into fractionating colum(hot at bottom ,, colder at top)

Crude oil vapours make their way up the column , at different levels there are collecting trays which include bubble caps allowing vapours to pass upwards

As allkanes move up, it will reach a temp at some point which is cooler than its boiling point

Then the alkane condenses into a liquid , and passes out of the column

Longer chain hydrocarbons have higher bp , so collected at bottom, shorter chain at top.

What is bitumen

Formed from alkanes with very big chains, collected from bottom of column