Unit 1 Chemistry AOS 3 Crude Oil Research Task

What fuels and other chemicals are derived from crude oil? How is crude oil processed to
obtain them?

Introduction
Crude Oil also known as a fossil fuel is a mixture of a large number of compounds and is formed from
the remains of animals and plants that died millions of years ago, it can be found trapped in some of
the sedimentary rocks of the Earth’s crust. Most of the compounds in crude oil consists of molecules
made up of hydrogen and carbon atoms known as hydrocarbon molecules, these are chain molecules
of varying length that are made from hydrogen and carbon atoms only. An example of a hydrocarbon
molecule is ethane, that can be represented with the chemical formula C2H6. Crude Oil has many
different derived chemicals and fuels and is refined by the petrochemical industry using fractional
distillation, where the hydrocarbons are separated into fractions of similar size. These fractions
include fuels such as petrol and diesel for chemical synthesis. Most of the fractions from crude oil are
burned as fuel while only a small percentage of crude oil is used for chemical synthesis.

Fractional Distillation
This is method used to derive the different fuels and chemicals in crude oil and differs from regular
distillation as it separates a mixture into different parts called fraction. A tall column is fitted above
the mixture with several condensers coming off at different heights. The column is hot at the bottom
and cool at the top so that substances with high boiling points condense at the bottom while substance
with low boiling points condense at the top. Like distillation, fractional distillation works because the
different substances in the mixture have different boiling points. When crude oil enters the column it
is evaporated so its vapours can condense at different temperatures in the fractioning column. Some of
the properties of the small molecules is that they have a low boiling point, very volatile, flows easily
and ignites easily where as the large molecules at the bottom of the pillar have high boiling points, are
not very volatile, do not flow easily and do not ignite easily.

Fuels and Chemicals Derived from Crude Oil

 Petroleum gas -
 Naphtha -
 Gasoline -
 Kerosene -
 Diesel -
 Bitumen -

(2015) Fractionating Tower Image – Martini Kunj

https://www.quora.com/What-are-the-functions-of-the-fractionating-column

Thomas Bartels
 Unit 1 Chemistry AOS 3 Crude Oil Research Task

Conclusion
From the research conducted we were able to identify that fractional distillation is the method used to
obtain various fuels and chemicals from crude oil. Fractional Distillation is able to separate the
different sized molecules from large at the bottom of the fractional column to small at the top

References
(2011) What is Crude Oil? – Revision World
https://revisionworld.com/gcse-revision/chemistry/carbon-compounds/what-crude-oil
(2010) Making crude oil useful – British Broadcasting Corporation
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/science/ocr_gateway_pre_2011/carbon_chem/4_crude_oil
1.shtml
(2010) Useful chemicals from crude oil – British Broadcasting Corporation
www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/science/21c_pre_2011/materials/chemicalscrudeoilrev2.shtml
(2016) Crude Oil as a source of Raw Material – Heinemann Chemistry 1 5th Edition, pg. 192,193
www.pearsonplaces.com.au/Places/Secondary_Places/Science_Place/Science_Companion_Websites/
Hein_Chemistry_1_SPL.aspx