Documenti di Didattica
Documenti di Professioni
Documenti di Cultura
OIL
CRUDE OIL
Crude oil is the term used for unprocessed oil. It is also known also as
petroleum. Crude oil is a fossil fuel, meaning that it was made naturally from
decaying plants and animals living in ancient seas millions of years ago - most
places you could find crude oil were once sea beds. Crude oils vary in color, from
clear to tar-black, and in viscosity, from water to almost solid.
Crude oils are such a useful starting point for so many different substances
because they contain hydrocarbons. Hydrocarbons are molecules that contain
hydrogen and carbon and come in various lengths and structures, from straight
chains to branching chains to rings.
Ramsden
Lubricating oils and waxes are used for motor oil, grease and other
lubricants.
Bitumen is used for road surfacing and roofing material.
Reforming Techniques
3) Catalytic reforming
Reforming Techniques
1) Isomerization
Reforming Techniques
2) Alkylation
Branched-chained alkanes are desired since they have
a higher octane number. In this process of alkylation,
tertiary alkanes combine with alkenes to make longer
branched chain alkanes.
The product is a blend of alkanes with high octane
numbers. The reaction occurs at room temperature
and is catalyzed by concentrated sulphuric acid.
For example: 2-methylpropane is added to 2methylpropene to form 2,2,4-trimethylpentane which
has exceptional anti-knock properties.
Reforming Techniques
3) Catalytic reforming
Catalyst & conditions: Al2O3 500C 10 atm
For example:
Catalyst
heptane --------> toluene + hydrogen
C7H16 --------> C7H8 + 4H2
-------->
+ 4H2
hexadecane
2 3
benzene
A note on gasoline
When the gasoline-air mixture is compressed in the internal
combustion engine, some hydrocarbons ignite spontaneously without
a spark and explode prematurely to cause a knocking noise.
Knocking can damage the engine and reduce the efficiency of the
gasoline. Tetraethyl lead was once added to gasoline as an anti-knock
agent. However the leaded gas can cause an unacceptable amount of
lead pollution in the environment.
In most countries, leaded fuel has been largely replaced by unleaded
fuel which contains more branched chain alkanes. Branched chain
alkanes ignite less spontaneously the straight chain isomers therefore
they are more resistant to knocking. The anti-knocking properties of
gasoline are measured on an octane scale using 2,2,4trimethylpentane and heptane.
2,2,4-Trimethylpentane has a low tendency to ignite spontaneously
when compressed and is given an octane number of 100.
Heptane knocks readily with little compression and is given an octane
number of 0.
3.
4.