Palawan State University

A Republic of the Philippines
PALAWAN STATE UNIVERSITY

Puerto Princesa City
College of Engineering, Architecture and Technology
Department of Petroleum Engineering
ORGANIC CHEMISTRY
NAME: PROGRAM & YR: DATE:
PETROLEUM
I. REFINING OF PETROLEUM
Crude oil itself has no uses – it must first be processed or refined. This is done in an oil
refinery. This is done in an oil refinery.
The first step is to separate compounds in the oil into groups called fractions. Each fraction
contains a mix of compounds with a similar number of carbon atoms. Molecules in crude oil can
contain anything from just 1 carbon atom to well over 50. The more carbon atoms in a hydrogen
molecule, the larger the molecule. How does this affect its boiling point?
Generally, the larger a hydrocarbon, the higher its boiling point.
This is because the intermolecular forces between large molecules are stronger than the
intermolecular forces between small molecules. More energy is needed to break the forces between
large molecules and so the boiling point is higher.
Fractional Distillation is a process then used to separate a mixture of liquids that have different
boiling points. Different vapors rise at different temperature and as they condense, they are collected
in different trays. Different liquids are collected in different trays. A few gases reach the top of the
column without condensing.
II. CRACKING OF PETROLEUM
Cracking, as the name suggests, is a process in which large hydrocarbon molecules are
broken down into smaller and more useful ones, for example:
The cracking products, such as ethene, propene, buta-1,3-diene and C4 alkenes, are used
to make many important chemicals. Others such as branched and cyclic alkanes are added to the
gasoline fraction obtained from the distillation of crude oil to enhance the octane rating.
There are several types of cracking:
Thermal Cracking
You heat large hydrocarbons at high temperatures (sometimes high pressures as well) until
they break apart. steam - high temperature steam (1500 degrees Fahrenheit / 816 degrees Celsius) is
used to break ethane, butane and naptha into ethylene and benzene, which are used to manufacture
chemicals. visbreaking - residual from the distillation tower is heated (900 degrees Fahrenheit / 482
degrees Celsius), cooled with gas oil and rapidly burned (flashed) in a distillation tower. This process
reduces the viscosity of heavy weight oils and produces tar. coking - residual from the distillation
tower is heated to temperatures above 900 degrees Fahrenheit / 482 degrees Celsius until it cracks
into heavy oil, gasoline and naphtha. When the process is done, a heavy, almost pure carbon residue
is left (coke); the coke is cleaned from the cokers and sold.
Catalytic Cracking
Catalytic Cracking uses a catalyst to speed up the cracking reaction. Catalysts include zeolite,
aluminum hydrosilicate, bauxite and silica-alumina. fluid catalytic cracking - a hot, fluid catalyst
(1000 degrees Fahrenheit / 538 degrees Celsius) cracks heavy gas oil into diesel oils and gasoline.
hydrocracking - similar to fluid catalytic cracking, but uses a different catalyst, lower temperatures,
higher pressure, and hydrogen gas. It takes heavy oil and cracks it into gasoline and kerosene (jet
fuel).
After various hydrocarbons are cracked into smaller hydrocarbons, the products go through another
fractional distillation column to separate them.
Reasons for cracking

Cracking is important for two main reasons:
 It helps to match the supply of fractions with the demand for them.
 It produces alkenes, which are useful as feedstock for the petrochemical industry.
Alkenes
Alkanes and alkenes both form homologous series of hydrocarbons, but:
 alkanes are saturated, their carbon atoms are only joined by C-C single bonds
 alkenes are unsaturated, they contain at least one C=C double bond
As a result, alkenes are more reactive than alkanes. Alkenes can take part in reactions that alkanes
cannot. For example, ethene molecules can react together to form poly(ethene), a polymer.
Alkenes will react with bromine water and turn it from orange/brown to colourless. This is the way
to test for a double C=C bond in a molecule.
III. OCTANE NUMBER OF FUEL
The octane rating of gasoline essentially

tells you how much the air-fuel mixture can be
compressed before it will spontaneously ignite.
Gasoline with an optimal octane rating performs
best in an engine designed to run on that octane
level. That's what ethanol is such a big deal - it's
partly used to increase the octane rating of the gas.
Ethanol free gasoline has to have other things
added to it to make up the octane difference.
Inside an engine, you have the piston

moving up and down, with the injectors metering a
given amount of fuel into the combustion chamber as the piston travels up toward top-dead-center
position. As it moves up, it compresses the fuel-air mix already in the cylinder. When the air fuel
mixture ignites by the heat of compression rather than because of the spark from the spark plug, it
causes knocking in the engine and a loss of power. The knocking sound is caused by two exploding
"flame fronts" - one explosion from the pre-ignition of the fuel-air mix caused by compression and
the other from the rest of the fuel-air being ignited at a slightly different time by the spark plug. The
two flame front explode and send shock waves through the air of the cylinder, which meet in the
combustion chamber and give you that annoying knock effect.
Lower octane gasoline like "regular" 87-octane gasoline can handle the least amount of
compression before igniting. The compression ratio of your engine determines the octane rating of
the gas you must use in the car. This is the same as saying your engine is designed to perform its best
with a specific octane rating of gasoline. A "high-performance engine" has a higher compression
ratio and requires higher-octane fuel such as those 91-94 octane to prevent it from prematurely
igniting fuel before the spark plug does it. Thus, using higher-octane gasoline than your engine is
designed to utilize is only wasting your money.
IV. USES OF PETROLEUM

Refinery Gas
Liquefied petroleum gas or LPG, also referred to as simply propane or butane, are flammable
mixtures of hydrocarbon gases used as fuel in heating appliances, cooking equipment, and vehicles.
Gasoline
It is a highly volatile hydrocarbon derived from crude oil. Typically it is used to fuel internal
combustion engines for cars, motorbikes, trucks, boats and other transport vehicles.
Naphtha
Petroleum naphtha is an intermediate hydrocarbon liquid stream derived from the refining of
crude oil. It is most usually desulfurized and then catalytically reformed, which rearranges or re-
structures the hydrocarbon molecules in the naphtha as well as breaking some of the molecules into
smaller molecules to produce a high-octance component of gasoline.
Kerosene
Kerosene or Paraffin is widely used to power jet engines of aircraft (jet fuel) and some rocket
engines, and is also commonly used as a cooking and lighting fuel and for fire toys such as poi. In
parts of Asiam where the price of kerosene is subsidized, it fuels outboard motors on small fishing
boats.
Diesel Oil
Diesel fuel in general is any liquid fuel used in diesel engines, whose fuel ignition takes place,
without any sparkm as a result of compression of the inlet air mixture and then injection of fuel.
Lubricating Oil
A lubricant is a substance introduced to reduce friction between surfaces in mutual contact,
which ultimately reduces the heat generated when the surfaces move.Lubricants are typically used to
separate moving parts in a system.
Fuel Oil
Fuel Oil (heavy oil, marine fuel, or furnace oil) is a fraction obtained from petroleum
distillation, either as a distillate or a residue. Broadly speaking, fuel oil is any liquid fuel that is burned
in a furnace or boiler for the generation of heat or used in an engine for the generation of power.
Greases and Wax
Grease is a semisolid lubricant. The characteristic feature of greases is that they possess a high
initial viscosity, which upon the application of shear drops to give the effect of an oil-lubricated
bearing of approximately the same viscosity as the base oil used in the grease.
Bitumen
Asphalt bitumen is used in road construction because it is easy to produce, reusable, non-toxic,
and a strong binder.

Palawan State University

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Palawan State University

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Description:

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Palawan State University

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

A Republic of the Philippines

PALAWAN STATE UNIVERSITY

Generally, the larger a hydrocarbon, the higher its boiling point.

There are several types of cracking:

Reasons for cracking

III. OCTANE NUMBER OF FUEL

The octane rating of gasoline essentially

Inside an engine, you have the piston

IV. USES OF PETROLEUM

You might also like