The " vulgar crude " pump out of the earth is a black fluid calledpetroleum . This liquid containsaliphatic hydrocarbon , or hydrocarbon composed of nothing but hydrogen and carbon . The atomic number 6 molecule link up together in chains of different lengths .
It turns out that hydrocarbon molecules of different lengths have different properties and behaviors . For example , a concatenation with just one carbon paper particle in it ( CH4 ) is the idle chain of mountains , known as methane . Methane is a gas so light that it float likehelium . As the chains get longer , they get heavier .
The first four chains – CH4(methane ) , C2H6(ethane ) , C3H8(propane ) and C4H10(butane ) – are all gas , and they boil at -161 , -88 , -46 and -1 degrees F , respectively ( -107 , -67 , -43 and -18 degrees C ) . The chains up through C18H32or so are all liquids at room temperature , and the chain above C19are all solids at room temperature .
So what ’s the real chemical deviation between petrol , kerosene and diesel ? It has to do with their simmering point .
Carbon Chains in Petroleum Products
The different chain lengths have more and more higher simmering points , so they can be part out bydistillation . This is what happens in an oil refinery – crude oil is stir up and the dissimilar chain are tear out by their vaporisation temperatures . ( SeeHow Oil Refining Worksfor details . )
The mountain range in the C5 , C6and C7range are all very promiscuous , easy vaporized , vindicated liquids callednaphthas . They are used as solvents –dry clean fluidscan be made from these liquid state , as well as paint solvents and other agile - drying products .
The chains from C7H16through C11H24are blended together and used forgasoline . All of them zap at temperature below the boiling point of water . That ’s why if you splatter gas on the ground it melt very apace .
Next iskerosene , in the C12to C15range , follow by Rudolf Diesel fuel and heavier fuel oils ( like heat oil for house ) .
Next number thelubricating oils . These oils no longer fly in any way at normal temperatures . For example , locomotive engine oil can run all solar day at 250 degrees F ( 121 degrees 100 ) without vaporizing at all . Oils go from very clear ( like 3 - in-1 oil ) through various thickness of motor oil through very thickgearoils and then semi - solid greases . Vasoline descend in there as well .
Chains above the C20range form solids , starting with paraffin wax , then tar and eventually asphaltic bitumen , which is used to make mineral pitch roads .
All of these different substances do from crude oil . The only conflict is the length of the C chains !
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