Crude oil and hydrocarbons
Crude oil is a complex mixture of hydrocarbonA compound that contains hydrogen and carbon only.. Hydrocarbons are compoundA substance formed by the chemical union of two or more elements. that contain hydrogen and carbon atomThe smallest part of an element that can exist. only.
Uses of crude oil
Crude oil is an important source of:
- fuelMaterial that is used to produce heat, like coal, oil or gas.
- feedstockA raw material used to provide reactants for an industrial reaction. for the petrochemical industry
Fuels obtained from crude oil or natural gasA naturally occurring hydrocarbon gas mixture. are called fossil fuelNatural, finite fuel formed from the remains of living organisms, eg oil, coal and natural gas.. They include:
- petrol, kerosene and diesel oil from crude oil
- methane from natural gas
These fuels are non-renewableA resource that cannot be replaced when it is used up, such as oil, natural gas or coal. - they are being used up faster than they are being formed.
A feedstock is a raw material used to provide reactants for an industrial reaction. A petrochemical is a substance made from crude oil using chemical reactions. For example, ethene is produced from crude oil. It is used as feedstock to make poly(ethene), a polymerA large molecule formed from many identical smaller molecules known as monomers..
Almost all consumer goods require crude oil as part of the manufacturing process but crude oil is a finite resourceA resource that is no longer being made or which is made extremely slowly, such as crude oil and metal ores.. It forms extremely slowly over millions of years and is being used much faster than it can be replaced. It is important to balance the short-term benefits from fuels and materials crude oil produces with the need to conserve supplies for the future.