Crude Oil

Crude Oil

Introduction

  • Crude oil, also known as petroleum, is a natural, yellow-to-black liquid found in the Earth’s crust.
  • It remains in the ground in underground pockets called reservoirs.
  • It is a fossil fuel created from the remains of ancient marine organisms millions of years ago and is a non-renewable resource.

Components and Structure

  • Crude oil is a complex mixture of hydrocarbons with varying chain lengths.
  • These hydrocarbons can be as short as methane (CH4) or as long as sixty or more carbon atoms.
  • Crude oil can also contain small amounts of sulphur, nitrogen, and oxygen atoms along with metals such as iron and copper.

Fractional Distillation

  • The use of crude oil in industry requires separation of the mixture into useful constituents, this is done by fractional distillation.
  • Fractional distillation operates based on the varying boiling points of hydrocarbons.
  • It involves heating the crude oil so that it vaporises and then allowing it to cool in a distillation column.
  • Different fractions condense at different temperatures within the column, with shorter chains at the top and longer chains at the bottom.
  • These separate fractions are collected and form the basis for petrochemical industry products.

Fractions of Crude Oil

  • These are some of the main fractions obtained by crude oil distillation:
    • Refinery gases (e.g., propane and butane) found at the top of the column, used in heaters, as fuel for cars etc.
    • Gasoline (commonly known as petrol), used as fuel in cars.
    • Kerosene (also known as paraffin oil), commonly used in jet fuel.
    • Diesel oil, used for diesel engines such as trucks, buses and cars.
    • Bitumen, the heaviest fraction, used for road surfacing and roofing.

Environmental Impact

  • The combustions of hydrocarbons in crude oil produce greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide, contributing significantly to global warming.
  • Accidental spills of crude oil can have serious environmental impacts, causing harm to marine and terrestrial life.
  • Due to its non-renewable status, the exploitation of crude oil reserves is unsustainable in the long term.

Remember, this review of crude oil is just the surface! Going more in-depth into each of these points will bring a deeper understanding and mastery of the topic.