Gasoline

By Guillermo Maxi

Raw Materials A mixture of liquid hydrocarbons with four to

twelve carbon atoms.

Typically heptane (C7H14), octane (C8H18), and nonane (C9H18).

These hydrocarbons are refined from crude petroleum and classify into three groups: paraffins, olefins, and aromatics

 Modern gasoline fuels includes antivarnishing agents, detergents, and oxidation and rust inhibitors.

Distilling Process Heat up crude oil until it boils or vaporizes.

The vapors are separated into fractions or groups of hydrocarbons with differing condensation points.

In a refinery's fractionating tower, hot oil vapors pass upward, becoming cooler as they rise. The heavier fractions condense near the bottom of the tower.

Gasoline condenses near the top.

Cracking Processes

Originally, Thermal cracking consisted of applying high pressure and intense heat to break complex hydrocarbons into lighter compounds.

Catalytic Cracking implements a catalyst which speeds up chemical reactions. However, it doesn’t required high pressures.

Gasoline having high octane number will burn more smoothly in engines.

Properties It’s dyed, flammable, and has distinctive odor.

Gasolines are blended from hundreds of hydrocarbons, and different combinations are produced to meet the needs of different engines and to prevent engine knock.

A high octane number produces less knocking. Regular gasoline generally has an octane number of 87 and premium gasoline between 91 to 94.

Altering Properties More volatile mixtures improve cold-weather

starting, while less volatile mixtures are produced for warm-weather periods in order to forestall vapor lock. 

Tetraethyl lead used to be added to gasoline in order to reduce engine knock. It is a toxic substance and damages catalyst. It is banned.

Combining gasoline with ethanol or methanol formed gasohol. It reduces hydrocarbon emissions but releases formaldehyde which is carcinogen.

Work Citied Trench, C. J. (2014). Gasoline. The New Book of

Knowledge. Retrieved August 27, 2014, from Grolier Online http://nbk.grolier.com/ncpage?tn=/encyc/article.html&id=a2011430-h&type=0ta

Volti, R. Gasoline. In Science online. Retrieved from http://www.fofweb.com/activelink2.asp?ItemID=WE40&SID=5&iPin=ffests0371&SingleRecord=True

"Gasoline." UXL Science. U*X*L, 2009. Student Resources in Context. Web. 27 Aug. 2014.

"Oil refining." UXL Science. U*X*L, 2008. Student Resources in Context. Web. 27 Aug. 2014.