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28. Petroleum and its uses
Petroleum is a liquid found deep within the Earth's
surface. It's categorized as naturally occurring and
is collected from drilling into the Earth. Petroleum
is often described as brown or black in color.
Although it's commonly found in liquid form,
underneath the Earth's surface, it can also be in
the form of a gas. A natural gas is a naturally-
occurring combustible mix of different
hydrocarbons found below the Earth's
Figure 28.1 (Petroleum)
surface. Combustible refers to the ability for this
gas to be explosive or easily ignite a fire. A hydrocarbon is any type of substance that's got
carbon atoms and hydrogen atoms present. The petroleum you see when you drill down will
either flow out as a liquid (oil) or escape into the air as a gas.
Petroleum Chemistry:
The basic elements carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen, and even metals are found in
petroleum. Petroleum exists in two different forms: natural gas or liquid. When petroleum is
released from the Earth as a liquid it's referred to as crude oil. Crude oil is a type of liquid
that contains a very complex mixture of different hydrocarbons. The typical hydrocarbons
you will find in crude oil include alkenes , cycloalkanes , and aromatic hydrocarbons .
It's not important to memorize a long list of hydrocarbons contained in crude oil. Just
remember that the composition of liquid petroleum consists of a wide variety of molecules
that contain carbon and hydrogen atoms.
Uses:
Fraction
Petroleum Gas
Petrol
Kerosene
Diesel
Lubricating oil
Fuel oil
Paraffin wax
Bitumen
Uses
Fuel for Home (LPG)
Motor fuel
Fuel for stove and jet aircraft
Fuel for heavy motor vehicle
Lubrication
Fuel for power station and ship
Candles, Vaseline
Paints, Road surfacing
Partial List of Unexpected Products Made from or Containing Petroleum