Refining Process Video Lecture | Chemical Technology - Chemical Engineering

from the outside an oil refinery looks
like a small city a city composed of
pipes tanks and towers but if you went
inside you might be surprised to find
one of the most technologically advanced
industries in the United States here
engineers and scientists have figured
out how to turn raw crude oil into the
valuable fuels lubricants and components
we need to make millions of products
refining begins with a process called
distilling after oil is superheated it
becomes vapor the vapor is fed into the
distillation unit as it rises and cools
the vapor turns back into a liquid using
stacks of trays the liquid is easily
collected and separated by weighting the
lighter and medium weight liquids
require less processing before they're
ready to be used in cars and trucks the
heavier liquids need more processing to
become useful
a process called cracking is used to
maximize the usefulness of heavy oil
heavy oil has long strings of carbon and
hydrogen molecules using a catalyst
these molecules can be broken into
smaller chains transforming the heavy
oil into lighter more valuable fluids
reforming is a process that increases
the amount of gasoline produced from
crude oil one of the products separated
in the distilling process is a liquid
called naphtha the number of carbon
atoms in naphtha is about the same as
the number found in gasoline but their
structure is more complex reforming
rearranges the naphtha molecule turning
it into a usable gasoline like molecule
blending is a process of mixing
different refinery products to make
finished petroleum fuels gasoline for
example is blended to achieve octane
standards creating the grades of
gasoline you see at the pump regular mid
grade and premium that are necessary to
meet the needs of specific engine types
treating is a process used to produce
cleaner gasoline which helps protect
both the environment and our health
gasoline molecules contain impurities
like sulfur that can be removed when the
molecules are heated and come in contact
with a special catalyst a chemical
reaction occurs that strips the sulfur
away these sulfur compounds are used as
fertilizers and in pharmaceuticals
nothing goes to waste in a refinery
in fact by expanding existing refineries
and improving their efficiency we've
increased production of refined products
by more than 40% since the 1970s so the
next time you drive by a refinery think
about the scientists and engineers who
are helping to efficiently transform raw
crude oil into the fuels and products we
use every day their innovative work
helps keep prices low for the many
things we use in our daily lives and
think about how refining like other
types of manufacturing supports entire
communities put it all together and
you'll see how refineries keep America
moving