The oil refining process starts with a fractional distillation column. As different hydrocarbons have different boiling points, they can be separated by fractional distillation. The crude oil is heated and the various hydrocarbon chains turn to gaseous state when they reach their respective boiling points! When in gaseous state, the various gases pass into different trays where they are then cooled and condensed back into liquid form, before being further processed. It's that easy!
As you can see, crude oil contains many different products such as:- Petroluem gas is used for heating, cooking and making plastics
- It is made up of small alkanes containing 1 to 4 carbon atoms
- It has a boiling range of below 40 degrees Celsius
- It is often liquified under pressure to create liquefied petroleum gas (LPG)
Naphtha or Ligroin
- This will be further processed to make petrol
- It is a mix of alkanes containing 5 to 9 carbon atoms
- It has a boiling range of 60 to 100 degrees Celsius
- Petrol is used as motor fuel
- It is usually in liquid state
- It is a mix of alkanes and cycloalkanes containing 5 to 12 carbon atoms
- It has a boiling range 40 to 205 degrees Celsius
- Kerosene is used as fuel for jet engines and tractors and is also the starting material for making other products
- It is usually in liquid state
- It is a mix of aromatics and alkanes containing 10 to 18 carbons
- It has a boiling range 175 to 325 degrees Celsius
- It is used for diesel fuel and heating oil and it is also the starting material for making other products
- It is usually in liquid state
- It is made up of alkanes containing 12 or more carbon atoms
- It has a boiling range of 250 to 350 degrees Celsius
- It is used for motor oil, grease, other lubricants
- It is usually in liquid state
- It is made up of a long chain (20 to 50 carbon atoms) of alkanes, cycloalkanes and aromatics
- It has a boiling range of 300 to 370 degrees Celsius
- It is used for industrial fuel and is also the starting material for making other products
- It is usually in liquid state
- It is made up of a long chain (20 to 70 carbon atoms) of alkanes, cycloalkanes and aromatics
- It has a boiling range of 370 to 600 degrees Celsius
- They are used to make bitumen, asphalt, tar and waxes, and is also the starting material for making other products
- They are usually in solid state
- They are made up of multiple-ringed compounds with 70 or more carbon atoms
- They have a boiling range of greater than 600 degrees Celsius