AF

 Chapter 22:Petroleum and fuels 

Fuels

  • A fuel is a substance which when burned, releases heat energy which can be transferred into electricity, which we use in our daily lives.
  • Fossil fuels include coal, natural gas and hydrocarbons such as methane and propane.

Petroleum

  • Petroleum is also called crude oil and is a complex mixture of hydrocarbons which also contains natural gas.
  • It is a thick, sticky, black liquid that is found under porous rock.
  • The fractions in petroleum are separated from each other in a process called fractional distillation.

Fractional distillation of Petroleum

  • Fractional distillation is carried out in a fractionating column.
  • The fractionating column is hot at the bottom and cools at the top.
  • Crude oil enters the fractionating column and is heated so vapours rise.
  • Vapours of hydrocarbons with very high boiling points will immediately turn into liquid and are tapped off at the bottom of the column,
  • Vapours of hydrocarbons with low boiling points will rise up the column and condense at the top to be tapped off.

Properties of fraction

  • [ ] Viscocity
  • [ ] Melting and boiling points
  • [ ] Colour
  • [ ] Volatility

Products and uses

  1. Refinery gas: heating and cooking
  2. Gasoline: fuel for cars (petrol)
  3. Naphtha: raw product for producing chemicals
  4. Kerosene: for making jet fuel (paraffin)
  5. Diesel: fuel for diesel engines (gas oil)
  6. Fuel oil: fuel for ships and for home heating
  7. Lubricating oil: for lubricants, polishes, waxes
  8. Bitumen: for surfacing roads
  • [ ] \