C4.11 Hydrocarbons
Hydrocarbons are compounds which contain only the elements carbon and hydrogen.
Crude oil is a mixture of different sized hydrocarbon molecules.
These hydrocarbons are basically fuels such as petrol.
Task C4.11 Pick out the hydrocarbons in the
following list CH4, CH3OH, C6H6, C2H6,
H2O, C8H18, C4H8, C2H3N,
C5H12, C6H14.
C4.12 Fractional distillation of crude oil
The fractional distillation of crude oil is the process which
gives us the different substances (fractions) made from crude oil. The crude oil is pumped
in to the fractional column from the bottom. The heat is applied at the
bottom of the fractionating column. The different fractions are obtained in
different positions in the column.
Top 70oC, small molecules, light colour, runny, easy to light
Gases
Petrol
Naptha
Kerosene
Diesel
Lubricating oil
Fuel oil
Bitumen
Bottom 360oC, large molecules, dark colour, viscous, hard to light
www.lgfl.net
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/chemistry/usefulproductsoil/oil_and_oilproductsrev5.shtml
Task C4.12 Draw diagrams to show
the relative sizes of molecules of gas, diesel and bitumen.
C4.13 The size of molecules and boiling point
As the size of a hydrocarbon molecule increases the boiling point
increases. If it has a low boiling point it is very volatile (forms a
vapour easily). If it has a high boiling point it is not volatile.
size of hydrocarbon molecule (carbon atoms) |
Boiling point/oC |
| 4-12 | 40 |
| 11-15 | 180 |
| 15-19 | 260 |
| Over 50 | Over 340 |
C4.14 Uses of fractions from crude oil
Fraction |
Use |
| gases | Bottled gas for gas cookers, boilers, camping gas |
| Petrol | Cars, electricity generators |
| Kerosine | Jet fuel |
| Diesel oil | Trucks, and some cars |
| oil | lubrication |
| Fuel oil | Boilers in ships or buildings |
| Bitumen | Covering road surfaces |
Butane gas for camping
C4.15 Complete and incomplete combustion
Complete combustion
Happens with plenty of oxygen. All of the carbon and hydrogen in a
hydrocarbon turns to carbon dioxide and water.
Hydrocarbon + oxygen carbon dioxide + water
e.g.
CH4 + 2O2 --> CO2 +
2H2O
| carbon dioxide | Not poisonous but build up in atmosphere. carbon dioxide molecules trap energy from the sun. This leads to global warming. |
| water | harmless product |
| Sulphur Dioxide | Produced by sulphur impurities in burning fossil fuels. Can be dangerous if inhaled. Also it can dissolve into clouds to form acid rain. When this precipitates it is harmful to the environment by killing fish in lakes, damaging forests and can corrode buildings and metals structures. |
| Nitrogen Dioxide | This is formed in car engines when oxygen and nitrogen combine. This is an acid gas and turns into nitric acid when it dissolves. Acid rain results. |
Task C4.15.1 Complete
the following equations for complete combustion of hydrocarbons
ethene + oxygen --->
C2H4 + 3O2 --->
ethyne + oxygen --->
2C2H2 + 5O2 --->
propane +oxygen --->
C3H8 +5O2 --->
Incomplete combustion
Happens if there is not enough oxygen. The hydrocarbon turns into soot
(carbon) and poisonous carbon monoxide as well as carbon dioxide.
Hydrocarbon + oxygen ---> carbon monoxide + water
2CH4 + 3O2 ---> 2CO + 4H2O
| carbon | Formed by incomplete combustion as soot. It is bad for the lungs and disfigures buildings. |
| Carbon Monoxide | This is produced by traffic and some gas fires. When inhaled by people it replaces oxygen in the haemoglobin, however, it does not give it up, this eventually leads to suffocation. |
Task C4.15.2 Complete the
following equations for incomplete combustion of hydrocarbons
ethyne +oxygen --->
Task C4.15.3 Match these combustion products to their formulae: carbon,
water, C, sulfur dioxide, CO2, nitrogen dioxide, NO2,
carbon dioxide, SO2, carbon monoxide, H2O, CO.
Story C4.15
C4.16 Chemical tests for carbon dioxide and water
If carbon dioxide is bubbled through limewater it
turns milky. We
can test for the presence of water using anhydrous copper sulphate which
is white. The copper sulphate turns blue when water is added to it. Cobalt
chloride can also be used. This turns from blue to pink when water is
added.
Task C4.16
Show the above information in a suitable table.
C4.17 Cracking
Cracking is the splitting up of long chain hydrocarbons in
to smaller chains. Cracking is a form of thermal decomposition. A lot of
longer molecules produced from fractional distillation are cracked into
smaller ones because there's more demand for products like petrol and Kerosine
than for diesel oil. The products include compounds with double bonds
such as ethene. For example kerosine could be broken down to octane and ethene.
C-C-C-C-C-C-C-C-C-C- ----cracking-----> C=C +
C=C-C +
C-C=C + C-C
big
molecules
small molecule
alkanes
mostly alkenes
single
bonds
double bonds
saturated
unsaturated
only good for
fuels
can be made into polymers
C4.18 Industrial conditions for cracking
Industrial conditions for cracking vaporised hydrocarbons
are to use a powdered catalyst at about 400ºC to 700ºC. The catalyst
could be Aluminium oxide.
C4.19 The products of cracking
Cracking turns big molecules into small molecules which are mostly
alkenes. Some alkanes are also made.
C4.20 Saturated and unsaturated hydrocarbons
Alkanes are saturated hydrocarbons. They have single C-C bonds only.
Alkenes are unsaturated hydrocarbons. They have double C=C bonds.
Saturated hydrocarbons are so called because their C
atoms have no
spare bonds left to join with any more hydrogen atoms. They contain C-C single bonds and each C atom is joined
to 4 other atoms. Unsaturated hydrocarbons are so called because they have some
spare bonds which could be used to add on some more hydrogen atoms.
C4.21 Natural gas
Natural gas is mostly made up of an alkane called
methane CH4.
News about natural gas
C4.22 The formulae and structures of alkanes
Methane CH4Ethane C2H6
H H
| |
H-C-C-H
| |
H H
Propane C3H8
H H H
| | |
H-C-C-C-H
| | |
H H H
Butane C4H10
H H H H
| | |
|
H-C-C-C-C-H
| | |
|
H H H H
C4.23 Formulae and Structures of alkenes
Ethene C2H4
H H
| |
C=C
| |
H H
Propene C3H6
H H H
| |
|
H-C-C=C-H
|
H
C4.24 Testing alkanes and alkenes with bromine water
C4.25 Making polymers from small molecules
Polymers like polythene, polypropene and polystyrene are
large molecules, which can be formed by combinations of many smaller molecules
called monomers.
C4.26 Addition polymers
lots of monomers add together ---> 1 addition polymer
Each has C=C
bonds
only single bonds
unsaturated
saturated
lots of ethene molecule
---> 1
polyethene molecule
H H H H H
H
H H H H H H H H
| |
| |
|
|
| | | |
| | | |
C=C + C=C + C=C + ....
---> -(C- C- C- C-C- C- C- C)-n
| |
| |
|
|
| | | |
| | | |
H H H H H
H
H H H H H H H H
Task C4.26 Draw structures and equations as above for the
formation of polypropene and polychloroethene.
C4.27 Uses and properties of polymers
Material |
Use |
Properties |
| Poly(ethene) | Plastic bags, bottles,
buckets and bowls |
Softens when warm so easily formed and moulded |
| Poly(propene) | Crates, rope, carpets, car bumpers, fishing nets | tough and strong |
| poly(chloroethene) polyvinyl chloride PVC |
gutter, drain pipes, window frames, covering for electrical wiring. | electrical and heat insulator, tough, not easliy decomposed by sunlight |