IMSO 2022 Science International — Theory I Question 30

Question 30

The first stage of crude-oil processing uses fractional distillation to separate products by boiling-point differences. Why is fractional distillation used to separate petroleum components?

1. Petroleum contains hydrocarbons with various boiling points.
2. Petroleum contains compounds of various forms that can only be separated into elements by fractional distillation.
3. Fractional distillation is less complex than ordinary distillation, so is preferred for high purity.
4. Crude-oil components have different melting rates, so are placed in appropriate columns.