Chemical Processes in Petroleum Formation

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Chemistry Units 3&4 Extended Response – Task 11

Part A:

Discuss where and how the fuel is obtained or made and the chemical processes involved (plus the energy inputs these processes require) - 19 marks

Petroleum:
Petroleum is made from crude oil. Crude oil is a combination of many different hydrocarbons. Crude oil is considered a ‘fossil fuel’ because it is formed from deceased plants and animals.
Crude oil is formed within the Earth’ crust and within ocean basins. An ocean basin is a “depression of the earth’s surface in which an ocean lies”. As plants and animals die and remain at the bottom of the ocean they turn into fossils.
The fossils are covered by mud form the crude oil. This mud slowly turns into rock, the rock puts extreme pressure …show more content…

There are two main processes for synthesising ethanol – the fermentation and hydration of ethene. The most common method is fermentation. Although fermentation is more commonly associated with alcoholic beverages, it is becoming more popular in association with fuel production.
For fermentation to occur it requires a suitable grain to be in aqueous solution with water, it needs to have an appropriate yeast strain added (for alcoholic beverages), air needs to be removed and the mixture is needed to be kept at a constant 37˚c. The enzymes within the mixture convert the starch or sugar to glucose or fructose as shown in the equation: C6H12O6 → 2 C2H5OH+ 2 CO2 + heat. This is an oxidation-reduction reaction.

The other method of producing ethanol is the hydration of ethene.
Technically, the method is not thought of as a biofuel because it was not produced from a crop. Ethylene is used and it is produced through catalytic cracking. This is an addition reaction that is exothermic and is shown through the equation: CH2=CH2(g) + H2O(g) → CH3CH2OH(l) ΔH = - 45kj
This reaction uses steam and a catalyst; another way is by heating ethanol with a dilute sulphuric acid catalyst. A low temperature favours a high yield. …show more content…

For example, in 2006 in the United States consumers and businesses spent 921 billion American dollars, in 2008 money that was spent on fossil fuels reached One trillion American dollars. Currently it has been estimated that the United States are spending $1.6 trillion American dollars. The money being spent on the fossil fuels is due to manufacturing equipment that is able to drill and mine the crude oil, buying crude oil from various countries and continuous maintenance.

Discuss the argument that ethanol and biodiesel do not contribute to the presence of the atmospheric greenhouse gas CO2 while petrol combustion contributes significantly to increased atmospheric CO2. - 6 marks.

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