Fuel
A fuel is a substance that burns in oxygen and transfers heat energy to the surroundings
Crude oil:
crude oil is a fossil fuel made from a mixture of naturally occurring hydrocarbons.
It is refined into thousands of products called petrochemicals e.g diesel.
uses of crude oil:
Gasoline, petroleum coke, diesel.
It can also be used to make things such as insulation, soap, heart valves and tires.
Hydrocarbons:
Many compounds in crude oil only contain the elements hydrogen and carbon. These are
known as hydrocarbons.
Most hydrocarbons in crude oil are compounds called alkanes. Alkanes contain a single chain of
carbon atoms with hydrogen atoms bonded Along the side.
Alkanes:
Alkanes are a homologous series - they all have the same general formula CnH2N+2
The simplest alkane is methane with the formula CH4
The second simplest being ethane with the formula - C2H6
The third being propane with the formula - C3H8
One carbon atom has four bonds so four hydrogen atoms can attach to it by single bond.
fractional distillation
fractional distillation is the process in which crude oil is separated into hydrocarbons with similar
numbers of carbon atoms (fractions) based on their boiling points
A fuel is a substance that burns in oxygen and transfers heat energy to the surroundings
flammability
the flammability is a fuels ability to ignite
in general the smaller the size of fraction, the more flammable it is
smaller fractions have smaller molecule masses - easie for oxygen to react with them at lower
temperatures
viscosity
viscosity refers to the thickness or ease of flow of a fuel
as hydrocarbon molecules increase in size the viscosity increase this is again due to larger
molecular masses
volatility
A fuel is a substance that burns in oxygen and transfers heat energy to the surroundings
Crude oil:
crude oil is a fossil fuel made from a mixture of naturally occurring hydrocarbons.
It is refined into thousands of products called petrochemicals e.g diesel.
uses of crude oil:
Gasoline, petroleum coke, diesel.
It can also be used to make things such as insulation, soap, heart valves and tires.
Hydrocarbons:
Many compounds in crude oil only contain the elements hydrogen and carbon. These are
known as hydrocarbons.
Most hydrocarbons in crude oil are compounds called alkanes. Alkanes contain a single chain of
carbon atoms with hydrogen atoms bonded Along the side.
Alkanes:
Alkanes are a homologous series - they all have the same general formula CnH2N+2
The simplest alkane is methane with the formula CH4
The second simplest being ethane with the formula - C2H6
The third being propane with the formula - C3H8
One carbon atom has four bonds so four hydrogen atoms can attach to it by single bond.
fractional distillation
fractional distillation is the process in which crude oil is separated into hydrocarbons with similar
numbers of carbon atoms (fractions) based on their boiling points
A fuel is a substance that burns in oxygen and transfers heat energy to the surroundings
flammability
the flammability is a fuels ability to ignite
in general the smaller the size of fraction, the more flammable it is
smaller fractions have smaller molecule masses - easie for oxygen to react with them at lower
temperatures
viscosity
viscosity refers to the thickness or ease of flow of a fuel
as hydrocarbon molecules increase in size the viscosity increase this is again due to larger
molecular masses
volatility
