Fractions that are separated out include gasoline , diesel , kerosene , and bitumen. The process of fractional distillation is fairly simple, but is powerful in the way that it separates all the different, complex components of crude oil. First, the crude oil is heated to vapourize it and is fed into the bottom of a distillation tower. The resulting vapour then rises through the vertical column. As the gases rise through the tower, the temperature decreases.
As the temperature decreases, certain hydrocarbons begin to condense and run off at different levels. Each fraction that condenses off at a certain level contains hydrocarbon molecules with a similar number of carbon atoms. After this rough refinement, individual fuels may undergo more refinement to remove any contaminants or undesirable substances, or to improve the quality of the fuel through cracking.
There are several ways of classifying the useful fractions that are distilled from crude oil. One general way is by dividing into three categories: light, middle, and heavy fractions. The two primary applications of fractional distillation are the refining of crude oil and the manufacturing of spirits alcoholic beverages. Crude oil contains numerous different chemicals, many of which have similar boiling points.
Refineries separate these chemicals by boiling point into various products. The lower-boiling fractions become petroleum gas or gasoline, the intermediate-boiling fractions become fuel oil, diesel fuel, or kerosene, and the highest-boiling fractions become paraffin wax or asphalt.
The fermentation of sugars into alcohol stops when the alcohol content approaches 13 percent because the yeast cannot survive at higher alcohol concentrations. The boiling points of alcohol The distillation process at an oil refinery consumes 2 barrels of oil in energy for every barrels of refined oil. Updated March 13, Related Articles Principles of Steam Distillation.
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Cite This! Print Citation. Try Our Crossword Puzzle! What Is the Missing Number? The petrochemical industry can use some fractions as feedstock material used in an industrial process to make solvents, lubricants, detergents etc.
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