In the last article in the series on crude oil, we learned where oil comes from. In this edition, we’ll discuss how fuels, lubricants, and other petroleum products are made from oil. After oil is extracted from the earth, it is separated into different components roughly according to how big the molecules are. Differences in …
How do we make gasoline and other useful fuels? (3/5)Read More »
We just learned what hydrocarbons are, we want to know where they come from. This article continues the series on Crude Oil. Organic material, like algae and zooplankton, that have died millions of year ago and sank to the bottom of the ocean were slowly buried by silt and other organic material to form layers. …
As part of the series on Crude Oil, this article answers the question “What are Hydrocarbons?” Hydrocarbons are combustible chains of carbon and hydrogen atoms. The backbone of these molecules are carbon atoms bonded together to form chains. Hydrogen atoms also bond to the carbon atoms but are never attached to anything else so they …
Reuters had an interesting article (which it recently pulled) about two companies that are working together to make algal biofuels. Algae, which uses sunlight and nutrients commonly found in standing waster to grow, naturally produces a small amount of oil. The amount of oil produced can be increased by various techniques and companies like Solazyme …
