Sayan Chattopadhyay
Fractional Distillation of Crude Oil
Aim: To investigate the substances given off at different temperatures from crude oil (petroleum) mixture.
Apparatus:
- Fractional Distillation glassware and thermometer
- Clamp stand x 2
- Conical flask
- Supply of cold water
- Rubber tubes x 2
- Test tube rack
- Small glass test tubes x 5
- Rubber stopper x 5
- Evaporating basin
- Micro Bunsen Burner and bench mat
- Wooden Splint
- Stopwatch
- Boiling stones
- Crude Oil supply
Method:
- Set up the clamps stands and the fractionating glassware as shown in the diagram.
- Connect the rubber tubes to the two open tubes of the condenser.
- Connect the other end of the rubber tubing to a water tap and let the other one flow into a basin. Turn on the tap.
- Place two boiling stones into the conical flask and then pour in the crude oil into the flask. Place the flask right above the micro-burner as shown in the diagram.
- Heat the crude oil mixture slowly. Record at which temperature one of the compounds in the mixture evaporate, and then collect it in the small test tube after it passes through the condenser.
- Repeat step 5 until maximum temperature has been reached and/or no more compounds evaporate.
- Test the compounds which were collected. Light them in an evaporating basin and record the time it takes to run out.
