Fossil fuel hydrocarbon chains
Fossil fuel is a general term for buried combustible geologic deposits of organic materials, formed from decayed plants and animals that have been converted to crude oil, coal, natural gas, or heavy oils by exposure to heat and pressure in the earth's crust over hundreds of millions of years.
Fossil fuels are hydrocarbons. Petrochemicals are derived from fossil fuel hydrocarbons.
A hydrocarbon is when a hydrogen and carbon combine to form a simple or complex molecule. Lighter oils contain simpler hydrocarbon compounds with less carbon and heavier oils have much higher carbon residues and more complex and longer hydrocarbon components. Bitumens are so heavy that they do not flow at room temperature.
Today there are an estimated 160 types of crude oils being traded worldwide. No two oils are exactly the same. Oils from different fields and from different formations within the same field can have a similar composition or vary significantly.
|
Petroleum Fractions |
Carbon number range |
Boiling point (°C) range |
Boiling point (°F) range |
|
Light gases |
C2-C4 |
-90 to 1 |
-130 to 30 |
|
gasoline (light & heavy) |
C4-C10 |
-1 - 200 |
30 to 390 |
|
naphtha (light & heavy) |
C4-C11 |
-1 to 205 |
30 to 400 |
|
Jet fuels |
C-9 – C14 |
150 to 225 |
300 to 490 |
|
kerosene |
C11-C14 |
205 to 225 |
400 to 490 |
|
Diesel fuel |
C11-C16 |
205 to 290 |
400 to 550 |
|
Light gas oil |
C14- C18 |
255 to 315 |
490 to 600 |
|
Heavy gas oil |
C18-C28 |
315 to 425 |
600 to 800 |
|
wax |
C18-C26 |
315 to 500 |
600 to 930 |
|
Lubricating oil |
>C25 |
> 400 |
> 750 |
|
Vacuum gas oil |
C28-C55 |
425 to 600 |
800 to 1100 |
|
bitumen |
C60 - upwards |
>600 |
>1100 |
|
Some major categories of petrochemical products |
|||
|
plastics |
lubricants | process chemicals | fragrances |
| carpeting | pharmaceuticals | cosmetics | clothing |
| adhesives | cosmetics | footwear | detergents |
| paints | caulking compounds | transparent sheets | fertilizers |
| inks | solvents | rubber products | |