Crude oil is separated and chemically converted into fuels and feedstocks.
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Petroleum refining converts crude oil into fuels and chemical feedstocks. Fractional distillation first separates crude oil into fractions by boiling range, from gases and naphtha through kerosene and diesel to heavy residue. Conversion processes such as catalytic cracking, reforming, isomerisation, alkylation and hydrotreating then upgrade and reshape these fractions into high-octane gasoline and chemical intermediates. Sulfur is removed by hydrotreating, and the hydrogen sulfide produced is converted to elemental sulfur in the Claus process. Refineries also produce feedstocks for plastics, solvents and lubricants.
Key ideas: Crude oil is separated by fractional distillation, based on boiling point, in a tower hot at the bottom: refinery gas (below 40 C), naphtha and gasoline (40 to 200 C), kerosene (150 to 250), diesel (250 to 350), fuel oil and bitumen as residue. Cracking breaks long chains into alkenes and short alkanes, reforming makes aromatics and branched alkanes, raising octane number.
Common mistakes and connections: Mistake: calling distillation a chemical change; it is physical separation by boiling range, while cracking and reforming are chemical. Octane rating 100 is isooctane, 0 is heptane. Sulfur is removed by hydrodesulfurization. Links to alkanes, catalysts (zeolites) and combustion.
Approximate upper boiling limit of crude oil fractions. Fractional distillation separates them by boiling range before conversion processes upgrade them. The interactive lesson shows this as a live animation or chart.
Hydrotreating diesel removes sulfur to produce ultra-low sulfur diesel for modern engines.
Crude oil is separated and chemically converted into fuels and feedstocks.
Petroleum Refining is a intermediate topic in Biochemistry, Environment & Industry. It builds on the vocabulary of beginner topics in this area.
Study these earlier topics in Biochemistry, Environment & Industry first: Radiation Safety, Medical Isotopes, Industrial Chemistry.
The next topics in Biochemistry, Environment & Industry are Natural Gas and Coal.
Yes. The interactive lesson includes a self-check question on Petroleum Refining, and the Biochemistry, Environment & Industry quiz draws on every topic in this area.
Petroleum Refining is topic 96 of 127 in Biochemistry, Environment & Industry.
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