I'm stumped with another question too.
Can petroleum fractions be separated at room temperature on the basis of their viscosities?
I would guess that they could but i don't know how to explain it
Yes, petroleum fractions can indeed be separated based on their viscosities, but it requires more than just room temperature. The process is known as fractional distillation and is carried out in facilities called oil refineries.
Here's a step-by-step explanation of how petroleum fractions are separated based on their viscosities:
1. Crude oil, which is a mixture of various hydrocarbon compounds, is initially heated to very high temperatures in a distillation column.
2. The column is designed in such a way that it gradually increases in temperature from the bottom to the top.
3. As the crude oil vaporizes, the resulting vapor rises up the column.
4. Within the column, the vapor encounters different temperature zones, causing the different petroleum fractions to condense at specific points based on their boiling points.
5. At the bottom of the column, the temperature is highest, and heavier and more viscous petroleum fractions with higher boiling points, such as bitumen and heavy fuel oil, condense and collect.
6. As the vapor slowly rises through the column, lighter fractions with lower boiling points, such as diesel, gasoline, kerosene, and jet fuel, condense and can be separated at specific temperatures.
7. The top of the distillation column typically contains lighter gases like methane and propane, which are obtained separately.
8. The separated fractions are then further processed and treated to meet specific product requirements.
Therefore, while room temperature alone is not sufficient to separate petroleum fractions based on their viscosities, fractional distillation uses a combination of heat and varying temperatures to achieve the separation according to boiling points and, consequently, viscosities.