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Thermal decomposition in the

industry (oil)

Annika Hoeben
Iza Mikolajczyk
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08-12-2016

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Table of Contents
Thermal decomposition..................................................................................... 3
Cracking of oil..................................................................................................... 3
Products............................................................................................................... 4
The use of the products..................................................................................... 4
Greenhouse effect and oil................................................................................. 5
Block diagram...................................................................................................... 6
Extra information................................................................................................ 7
Sources................................................................................................................. 8

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Thermal decomposition
Thermal decomposition (thermolysis) is a chemical
decomposition caused by heat. The heat is used to
break down the bonds holding the atoms of the
original molecules together, so the reaction
usually consumes more heat energy than it
releases. The reaction is usually endothermic.
This is the balance reaction equation of the
thermal decomposition of crude oil:
2C8H18 + 25O2 16CO2 + 18H2O

Hea

Cracking of oil
Cracking is a thermal decomposition process by
which large alkane hydrocarbon molecules are
broken down by passing them over a heated
catalyst at high pressure. After crude oil is
removed from the ground, it is sent to a refinery
by pipeline, ship or barge. At a refinery, different
parts of the crude oil are separated into useable
petroleum products. The cracking of oil is done in
a large distillation column. As you can see on the
picture, the oil is heated up to 350 C. The smaller
molecules go up to top of the column. Over there
they are tapped out of the column and they are
used for other things. The gasoline is for example used as fuel for cars. The larger
molecules stay on the bottom of the column. These molecules can be tapped out
of the column as well and they can be used for other things. The fuel oil is for
example used as fuel for ships or for power stations. The residue is called
Bitumen. Bitumen can be used for roads or roofs. The picture clearly shows the
cracking of oil.

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Products
When you think of products that are
made out of oil, there are lots of
different options. You can think of fuel,
as mentioned above, but you can also
think of other stuff that is made out of
oil. First we will talk about the fuels.
When the cracking of oil is done, you
can use the different kind of oils for
different things. You can use the
Gasoline as fuel for cars, the Kerosene
as fuel for airplanes and the bitumen
for roads and roofs for example. Most
of the petroleum products are used to produce energy. Other products made from
petroleum include: tires, ink, deodorant, heart valves, eyeglasses, bubble gum,
aspirin, lipstick, toothpaste, and you can name even more stuff.

The use of the products

Fuels for cars and airplanes is of course used when travelling, for both this is
every day.
Tires are also needed for cars and airplanes, for busses and other public
transport. These are also used daily on the roads.
The bitumen used for roads and roofs is only used when needed, this means
whenever a new road is built, a house is built or renewed.
Depending on who the ink needs, this is more often used for art, so painters use
this, not even daily. Just when they need to work with the ink.
We also have vegetable oil, which is consumed daily by many people (with food
of course).
Deodorant is just whenever you sport or feel like you need to use it, most people
use it daily.

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Heart valves are only used when people have a weaker heart or are more
affected when doing exercises. These valves help to reduce the pain in the chest
and help the heart recover faster after doing something.
Eyeglasses are used by people who have something with their eyes, meaning
when they have a + or a (and then the level). It used when people want to see
or read well. Mostly older people use glasses (40+).
Bubble gum is used by many young children as well as to the age of 16. It is used
everywhere, public, at home, etc. Not many adults use bubble gum because they
use more chewing gum (with mint flavor) because the bubble gum has a different
flavor, for example strawberry.
Aspirin is consumed to reduce pain and to heal from a fever quicker. Whenever
someone feels a bit ill they can use it, most of the time consumed and used at
home. Nowadays you can get it at any drugstore. Whenever someone has a
headache or has any pain in general (organs) it can be used.
Lipstick is mainly used by women, mostly in public, parties or at friends house
maybe even to work. So when someone wants to buy and wear lipstick she can
also buy it almost anywhere and wear it anywhere.
Toothpaste is supposed to be used every day by everyone except for babies.
While there is many people who use toothpaste only once a day we all know we
should use it two times a day. It is of course used at home.

Greenhouse effect and oil

Our planet (and also other planets) are surrounded by a layer of gasses: the
atmosphere. There are some gasses (CO2 and water vapour) which provide the
warmth from the sun to stay inside the atmosphere. And so that it is and it will
stay warm on our planet. These gasses have the same effect as a greenhouse. So
this is called the greenhouse effect. Since 1850 it went totally wrong. Factories,
cars and deforestation take care of the too large amount of greenhouse gasses in
the air. So the greenhouse effect is strengthened. And the temperature raises.
This is called the global warming. This has also an effect on the amount of
precipitation and hurricanes. These changes are called the climate change. This
has loads of effects for the humanity. Well, now the question is what has oil to do
with all of this? If oil is boiled then a lot of CO 2 is released in the air, so more of
one of the greenhouse gasses is released which means that the boiling of oil also
has impact on the global warming.

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Block diagram

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Extra information
Crude oil is measured in barrels. 1 Fluid barrel = 119.24 liters. A 42-U.S. gallon
barrel of crude oil provides slightly more than 44 gallons of petroleum products.
You can compare the gain from processing the crude oil to what happens to
popcorn: it gets bigger after it is popped. One barrel of crude oil, after it is
refined, produces about 20 gallons of finished motor gasoline, and 7 gallons of
diesel, as well as other petroleum products. Americans consume petroleum
products at a rate of 3 gallons of oil and more than 250 cubic feet of natural
gas per day each!

Barge

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Sources
http://www.ranken-energy.com/products%20from%20petroleum.htm
http://oil-distillation.blogspot.nl/
http://www.bbc.co.uk/education/guides/zm2v4wx/revision
http://www.docbrown.info/page04/OilProducts06.htm