Cracking + crude oil

What is crude oil?

A mixture of hydrocarbons with similar chemical properties from the same homologous series:

• Different hydrocarbons that make up crude oil are known as fractions

seperating crude oil

to seperate crude oil, the mixture is heated under 350 degrees in a fractionating column where each compoundls (alkane) size, length and boiling point determines in which fraction it seperates.

• short chained hydrocarbons like C2H6 and CH4 have low boiling points wherein they travel up (rise) the fractionating column faster as a gas with a low density.

temp. at the top of the column

25 degrees - considered cold

temp. at bottom of column

350 degrees - hot