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7.1. Carbon Compounds As Fuels and Feedstock

Crude oil is a complex mixture of hydrocarbons that is separated into fractions via fractional distillation. This process separates the hydrocarbons based on differences in their boiling points. The fractions can then be further processed to produce useful fuels and feedstocks. Larger hydrocarbon molecules can also be "cracked" into smaller, more useful molecules like alkenes via heating and catalytic cracking. This cracking process produces substances with properties better suited for fuels and petrochemicals.

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74 views4 pages

7.1. Carbon Compounds As Fuels and Feedstock

Crude oil is a complex mixture of hydrocarbons that is separated into fractions via fractional distillation. This process separates the hydrocarbons based on differences in their boiling points. The fractions can then be further processed to produce useful fuels and feedstocks. Larger hydrocarbon molecules can also be "cracked" into smaller, more useful molecules like alkenes via heating and catalytic cracking. This cracking process produces substances with properties better suited for fuels and petrochemicals.

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AQA​ ​GCSE​ ​Chemistry

Topic​ ​7:​ ​Organic​ ​chemistry


Carbon​ ​compounds​ ​as​ ​fuels​ ​and​ ​feedstock

Notes
(Content​ ​in​ ​bold​ ​is​ ​for​ ​Higher​ ​Tier​ ​only)

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Crude​ ​oil,​ ​hydrocarbons​ ​and​ ​alkanes
Crude​ ​oil:
● Is​ ​a​ ​finite​ ​resource​ ​found​ ​in​ ​rocks
● Is​ ​the​ ​remains​ ​of​ ​an​ ​ancient​ ​biomass​ ​consisting​ ​mainly​ ​of​ ​plankton
that​ ​was​ ​buried​ ​in​ ​mud
● Is​ ​a​ ​mixture​ ​of​ ​a​ ​very​ ​large​ ​number​ ​of​ ​compounds
o Mixture:​ ​2​ ​or​ ​more​ ​elements​ ​that​ ​are​ ​not​ ​chemically​ ​combined
o The​ ​chemical​ ​properties​ ​of​ ​each​ ​substance​ ​in​ ​the​ ​mixture​ ​are
unchanged
● It​ ​is​ ​possible​ ​to​ ​separate​ ​the​ ​substances​ ​in​ ​the​ ​mixture​ ​by​ ​physical
methods​ ​including​ ​distillation
● Most​ ​of​ ​the​ ​compounds​ ​in​ ​crude​ ​oil​ ​consist​ ​of​ ​molecules​ ​made​ ​up​ ​of
hydrogen​ ​and​ ​carbon​ ​only​​ ​(hydrocarbons).​ ​Most​ ​of​ ​these​ ​saturated
hydrocarbons​ ​are​ ​alkanes.

Hydrocarbons:
● have​ ​the​ ​general​ ​formula:​ ​Cn​​ H​2n+2
● Alkane​ ​molecules​ ​can​ ​be​ ​represented​ ​in​ ​the​ ​following​ ​forms:

● The​ ​first​ ​4​ ​alkanes​ ​are​ ​methane,​ ​ethane,​ ​propane​ ​and​ ​butane​ ​(MEPB:
Monkeys​ ​Eat​ ​Peanut​ ​Butter)

Fractional​ ​distillation​ ​and​ ​petrochemicals


● The​ ​oil​ ​is​ ​heated​ ​in​ ​the​ ​fractionating​ ​column​ ​and​ ​the​ ​oil​ ​evaporates
and​ ​condenses​ ​at​ ​a​ ​number​ ​of​ ​different​ ​temperatures.
● The​ ​many​ ​hydrocarbons​ ​in​ ​crude​ ​oil​ ​can​ ​be​ ​separated​ ​into​ ​fractions
each​ ​of​ ​which​ ​contains​ ​molecules​ ​with​ ​a​ ​similar​ ​number​ ​of​ ​carbon
atoms
● The​ ​fractionating​ ​column​ ​works​ ​continuously,​ ​heated​ ​crude​ ​oil​ ​is
piped​ ​in​ ​at​ ​the​ ​bottom.​ ​The​ ​vaporised​ ​oil​ ​evaporates​ ​and​ ​rises​ ​up​ ​the
column​ ​and​ ​the​ ​various​ ​fractions​ ​are​ ​constantly​ ​tapped​ ​off​ ​at​ ​the
different​ ​levels​ ​where​ ​they​ ​condense.

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● The​ ​fractions​ ​can​ ​be​ ​processed​ ​to​ ​produce​ ​fuels​ ​and​ ​feedstock​ ​for
the​ ​petrochemical​ ​industry.
○ Many​ ​of​ ​the​ ​fuels​ ​on​ ​which​ ​we​ ​depend​ ​for​ ​our​ ​modern
lifestyle,​ ​such​ ​as​ ​petrol,​ ​diesel​ ​oil,​ ​kerosene,​ ​heavy​ ​fuel​ ​oil​ ​and
liquefied​ ​petroleum​ ​gases,​ ​are​ ​produced​ ​from​ ​crude​ ​oil.
○ Many​ ​useful​ ​materials​ ​on​ ​which​ ​modern​ ​life​ ​depends​ ​are
produced​ ​by​ ​the​ ​petrochemical​ ​industry,​ ​such​ ​as​ ​solvents,
lubricants,​ ​polymers,​ ​and​ ​detergents.
○ The​ ​vast​ ​array​ ​of​ ​natural​ ​and​ ​synthetic​ ​carbon​ ​compounds
occur​ ​due​ ​to​ ​the​ ​ability​ ​of​ ​carbon​ ​atoms​ ​to​ ​form​ ​families​ ​of
similar​ ​compounds.

Properties​ ​of​ ​hydrocarbons


● Some​ ​properties​ ​of​ ​hydrocarbons​ ​depend​ ​on​ ​the​ ​size​ ​of​ ​their
molecules.​ ​These​ ​properties​ ​influence​ ​their​ ​use​ ​as​ ​fuels.
● Shorter​ ​the​ ​molecules,​ ​the​ ​less​ ​viscous​ ​it​ ​is.​ ​(more​ ​runny)
● The​ ​longer​ ​the​ ​molecules,​ ​the​ ​more​ ​viscous​ ​it​ ​is.
● The​ ​shorter​ ​the​ ​molecules,​ ​the​ ​lower​ ​the​ ​temperature​ ​at​ ​which​ ​that
fraction​ ​is​ ​vaporised​ ​or​ ​condensed​ ​–​ ​and​ ​the​ ​lower​ ​its​ ​boiling​ ​point.
● The​ ​shorter​ ​the​ ​molecules,​ ​the​ ​more​ ​flammable​ ​it​ ​is.
● Hydrocarbons​ ​are​ ​burnt​ ​so​ ​that​ ​they​ ​can​ ​be​ ​used​ ​as​ ​fuel,​ ​since​ ​the
reaction​ ​produces​ ​energy.
o ​ ​hydrocarbon​ ​->​ ​carbon​ ​dioxide​ ​+​ ​water
o the​ ​hydrogen​ ​and​ ​carbon​ ​are​ ​oxidised​ ​in​ ​the​ ​reaction

Cracking​ ​and​ ​alkenes


● Hydrocarbons​ ​can​ ​be​ ​cracked​ ​to​ ​produce​ ​smaller,​ ​more​ ​useful
molecules.​ ​This​ ​process​ ​involved​ ​heating​ ​the​ ​hydrocarbons​ ​to
vaporise​ ​them.
● The​ ​processes​ ​are:
o Passing​ ​them​ ​over​ ​a​ ​hot​ ​catalyst​ ​(catalytic​ ​cracking)
o OR​ ​mixing​ ​them​ ​with​ ​steam​ ​and​ ​heated​ ​to​ ​a​ ​very​ ​high
temperature​ ​so​ ​that​ ​thermal​ ​decomposition​ ​reactions​ ​can
occur​ ​(steam​ ​cracking)
● alkenes:
o The​ ​products​ ​of​ ​cracking​ ​include​ ​alkanes​ ​and​ ​unsaturated
hydrocarbons​ ​called​ ​alkenes.​ ​Alkenes​ ​have​ ​the​ ​general​ ​formula
C​n​H​2n​​ ​and​ ​have​ ​at​ ​least​ ​one​ ​double​ ​carbon-carbon​ ​bond.

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o The​ ​first​ ​2​ ​alkenes​ ​are​ ​ethene​ ​and​ ​propene.
o Unsaturated​ ​carbons​ ​can​ ​be​ ​represented​ ​in​ ​the​ ​following
forms:

o
o Alkenes​ ​react​ ​with​ ​bromine​ ​water,​ ​turning​ ​it​ ​from​ ​orange​ ​to
colourless,​ ​alkanes​ ​do​ ​not​ ​(this​ ​is​ ​because​ ​an​ ​alkene’s​ ​double
bond​ ​makes​ ​them​ ​more​ ​reactive​ ​than​ ​alkanes)
o Alkenes​ ​are​ ​used​ ​for​ ​producing​ ​other​ ​chemicals​ ​(e.g.​ ​polymers)
● Some​ ​of​ ​the​ ​products​ ​made​ ​from​ ​cracking​ ​are​ ​useful​ ​as​ ​fuels,​ ​since
they​ ​have​ ​shorter​ ​chains​ ​than​ ​the​ ​alkanes​ ​you​ ​started​ ​with,​ ​making
them​ ​more​ ​flammable​ ​so​ ​a​ ​better​ ​fuel
● Equations​ ​for​ ​cracking:
o you​ ​must​ ​make​ ​sure​ ​there​ ​are​ ​the​ ​same​ ​number​ ​of​ ​carbons
and​ ​hydrogens​ ​on​ ​each​ ​side​ ​of​ ​the​ ​equation​ ​(the​ ​same​ ​as​ ​any
other​ ​reaction)
o remember​ ​you​ ​are​ ​going​ ​from​ ​a​ ​bigger​ ​molecule​ ​to​ ​usually​ ​2
smaller​ ​molecules
o e.g.​ ​if​ ​you​ ​had​ ​to​ ​add​ ​the​ ​other​ ​product​ ​to​ ​this​ ​reaction
equation:​ ​C6​​ H​14​ →​
​ ​C2​​ H​4​​ ​+​ ​?,​ ​you​ ​simply​ ​calculate​ ​how​ ​many
carbons​ ​and​ ​hydrogens​ ​are​ ​left​ ​over.
carbons:​ ​6-2=4
hydrogens:​ ​14-4=10
therefore,​ ​?=​ ​C4​​ H​10

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