Petrol is made from the crude oil. Crude oil is a thick, dark and sticky liquid in nature, that needs to transform into various form, such one is petrol for its proper utlilization.
There are three processess of creating petrol from the crude oil,
- Fractional Distillation
- Conversions
- Blending
Fractional Distillation
Crude oil in raw form is consist of the hydrocarbons consist of hydrogen and carbon atoms. The consistency of this items varies from very light gases to heavy items. This is why they cant be used directly. This fractional distillation process is helps to separate this all molecules based on their structural weight.
The crude oil is pumped into the tank, where it is burned to 370 degree celcius. It causes vaporization of the liquid and turn into the gases.
This tank is hot at the bottom surface and at top it is cooler. The different hydrocarbons condens and accumulate at different boiling points. At bottom high boiling points like bitumen and asphalt condense, In middle, medium-weight compound such as diseel and jet fuel condense and at top with low boiling point liquified petroleum gas (LPG) condense and accumulate.
Conversion
The petrol made from the first stage is of only 20 percent of total crude oil. It is not possible to meet the global demands for the petrol, dizel and LPG.
Conversion is a process of converting the bigger hydrocarbons and bigger molecules to the smaller ones, by breaking, reshaping and rebuiliding it.
Petrol requires a small lightweigh hydrocarbons so that it can vaporizes quickly. Petrol has 4 to 12 hydrocarbons. Distilation process (first process) leaves very heavy dense i.e. long chain of molecules of 20 to 50 carbon atoms. So, they were not suitable for use.
This process puts this heavy liquids into the fluid catalytic cracker (FCC) where this molecules heat up to 500 C. and also mix with powder catalyst. This much intense compounds due to this much heat breaks down into smaller compounds essential needed for petrol.
This makes them small but not in proper shape. As long chain of carbons atoms burn very poorly causing problems in the engine. It causes engine knocking where engine doesnt start properly or starts poorly.
This molecules then put into the reforming area, where high temperature, pressure and metal catalyst bend them, twist them and loop into the smaller structures that will burn easily.
Treatment & Blending
This process is last one of refining the final petrol and removing the impurities from them. Unprocessed petrol contains the natural sulfur, that can cause more acids and toxic air pollution when burned. So, petrol undergoes the desulfurization process to remove the sulfur.
The refinary mix the petrol with various fluids steams together till it reaches the performance standard of perfect octane rating. To make petrol to a level where it can ignite properly. Then after finalizing all things petrol is available for the consumer.
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