What are the processes by which crude oil is separated?
What are the processes by which crude oil is separated?
Crude oil is separated by fractional distillation. The components of crude oil are separated by a process which is known as fractional distillation. Crude oil is made of different components whose sizes, weights and boiling temperatures are different from each other.
How does a fractional distillation column separate crude oil?
Feed the crude oil into a boiler that heats up to 1200 degrees F, which causes the oil to boil and evaporate. The different components of the oil have different molecular weights and boiling points, so they will begin to evaporate at different times. Feed the superheated steam from the boiler into a device known as a fractional distillation column.
How is steam used to separate crude oil?
The column has several different trays contained within it, each with a number of holes to allow the steam to pass through them. Heat each tray to just below the specific boiling point of the oil’s different carbon chain components. As the steam passes through the holes in the trays, each component will cool and condense on its appropriate tray.
How is crude oil extracted from the ground?
After crude oil has been extracted from the ground, it is generally transported to a refinery, where it is heated and distilled into more usable products. Most of these are various types of fuel, which are themselves often used in the composition of still other products.
Why does crude oil need to be separated?
Crude oil is a highly variable mixture of heavy and light hydrocarbons that need to be separated in a refinery to turn them into usable products. For these different reasons it is impossible to develop a universal boiler or engine capable of running on all crude oils.
How are crude oil separated into its various components?
The components of crude oil are separated by a process which is known as fractional distillation. Crude oil is made of different components whose sizes, weights and boiling temperatures are different from each other. When the crude oil is heated with high pressure steam at a high temperature, it boils and forms vapour.
How can crude oil be separated into its components?
Crude oil is separated by using a method called Distillation. Crude Oil is made from components that are different from one another. It contains many hydrocarbons. When Crude Oil is heated steam comes off it and produces vapour. The vapour is then set into a column. The vapour rises up the column and looses its heat.
How is crude oil separated into different fractions?
Crude oil is separated into fractions by fractional distillation. The fractions at the top of the fractionating column have lower boiling points than the fractions at the bottom. All of the fractions are processed further in other refining units.
