TOPIC 4B ONE ALKANES FROM CRUDE OIL CHEMISTRY TOPIC 4B 1 ALKANES FROM CRUDE OIL

What is fractional distillation?

1. Crude oil is a complex mixture of compounds, mostly hydrocarbons with the composition varying, depending on where it’s from.

2. Fractional distillation converts, the crude oil into small number of fractions within a defined arranged of boiling points.

3. The fractions from fractional distillation are still a mixture of compounds, but just a of compounds.

Describe the process of fractional distillation.

1. crude oil is heated in a furnace, which turns most of it into vapor.

2. Which is then passed into a column near the bottom where there is a temperature gradient at the bottom being hotter than the top.

3. as the vapor passes through the column, a series of bubble caps, different fractions, condense, a different heights in the column.

Talk about the composition of crude oils in a fractional distillation column from bottom to top.

1. In the bottom of the column, the fractions contain larger molecules with longer chains and higher boiling temperatures.

2. At the top, the fractions containing smaller fractions containing smaller molecules with shorter chains and lower boiling temperatures.

3. Some of the hydrocarbons include oil are dissolved gases, and they rise to the top of the column without condensing.

What is cracking?

1. Cracking is when longer hydrocarbon chains are converted into shorter chains.

please describe the process of cracking.

1. Cracking is done by passing the hydrocarbons and heavier fractions through a heated catalyst.

2. usually of zeolite, which is a compound of aluminum, silicone and oxygen.

Give an example of cracking.

1. C10H22 —> C8H18 + C2H4

What is reforming?

1. Not all hydrocarbons, combust and burn in the same way, those with long chains don’t burn as efficiently as those with branch chains or rings.

2. Reforming takes long chain, hydrocarbons And turns them into branched-chain alkanes, and cyclic hydrocarbons.

Describe the process of reforming.

1. Long chain hydrocarbon’s are heated with a catalyst usually platinum to help them burn more smoothly

Give an example of reforming reaction.

1. Contain the cyclopentane plus hydrogen