Mixture Separation Chemistry Example 4

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Example 4

hard
Crude oil is a mixture of hydrocarbons with different boiling points. Explain how fractional distillation is used to separate crude oil into useful fractions, and name three fractions obtained.

Solution

  1. 1
    Crude oil is heated in a fractional distillation column. Hydrocarbons with lower boiling points vaporize first and rise higher in the column, while heavier fractions condense lower down.
  2. 2
    The column has a temperature gradient — hottest at the bottom, coolest at the top — allowing different fractions to condense at different heights.
  3. 3
    Fractions obtained include: gasoline (bp 3030–200°C200°\text{C}), kerosene/jet fuel (bp 150150–300°C300°\text{C}), and diesel (bp 250250–350°C350°\text{C}). Heavier fractions like lubricating oil and bitumen remain near the bottom.

Answer

Fractional distillation: gasoline, kerosene, diesel (by boiling point)\text{Fractional distillation: gasoline, kerosene, diesel (by boiling point)}
Fractional distillation separates a complex mixture by exploiting the range of boiling points of its components. It is the primary process in oil refineries and demonstrates how physical properties enable industrial-scale separation.

About Mixture Separation

Physical methods used to isolate the individual components of a mixture by exploiting differences in their physical properties such as particle size, boiling point, density.

Learn more about Mixture Separation →

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Example 3 medium

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