Bubble point

the temperature at which bubbles first appear when a liquid mixture is heated
Dew point in fuel
The hydrocarbon dew point is the temperature (at a given pressure) at which the hydrocarbon
components of any hydrocarbon-rich gas mixture, such as natural gas, will start to condense
out of the gaseous phase.
Volatility
volatility is the tendency of a substance to vaporize. Volatility is directly related to a
substance's vapor pressure. At a given temperature, a substance with higher vapor pressure
vaporizes more readily than a substance with a lower vapor pressure.
Distillation of petroleum in refinery
The first and the most fundamental step in the refining process (after the crude oil has been
cleaned and any remnants of brine removed) is distillation, which is often referred to as the
primary refining process. Distillation involves the separation of the different hydrocarbon
compounds that occur naturally in a crude oil into a number of different fractions (a fraction is
often referred to as a cut). In the atmospheric distillation process (Fig.), heated crude oil is
separated in a distillation column (distillation tower, fractionating tower, atmospheric pipe still)
into streams that are then purified, transformed, adapted, and treated in a number of
subsequent refining processes, into products for the refinerys market. The lighter, more
volatile, products separate out higher up the column, whereas the heavier, less volatile,
products settle out toward the bottom of the distillation column. The fractions produced in this
manner are known as straight run fractions ranging from (atmospheric tower) gas, gasoline, and
naphtha, to kerosene, gas oils, and light diesel, and to (vacuum tower) lubricating oil and
residuum
Significance and use of distillation method
1-The distillation (volatility) characteristics of hydrocarbons have an
important effect on their safety and performance, especially in the case of
fuels and solvents. The boiling range gives information on the composition,
the properties, and the behavior of the fuel during storage and use.
Volatility is the major determinant of the tendency of a hydrocarbon mixture
to produce potentially explosive vapors.
2- The distillation characteristics are critically important for both automotive
and aviation gasolines, affecting starting, warm-up, and tendency to vapor
lock at high operating temperature or at high altitude, or both. The
presence of high boiling point components in these and other fuels can
significantly affect the degree of formation of solid combustion deposits.
3-Volatility, as it affects rate of evaporation, is an important factor in the
application of many solvents, particularly those used in paints.
4-Distillation limits are often included in petroleum product specifications, in
commercial contract agreements, process refinery/control applications, and
for compliance to regulatory rules.