If we consider the question of what gasoline is made from, then, of course, many can immediately say that it is from oil. This statement is true, but it is just the tip of the iceberg, and the actual process of producing fuel is much more complex.
Gasoline at oil refineries
So, it’s worth saying right away that the production process is a long process that requires patience and knowledge of chemistry.
Gasoline production in Russia is carried out by 32. This amount of industrial capacity allows the Russian Federation to maintain a high grade of fuel. What is gasoline made from? Of course, the initial raw material for the production of this is crude oil. For example, we can take oil. To make it clearer, 1 barrel is 159 liters. It is also important to note that when crude oil is processed, its volume constantly increases and reaches 168 liters. As a result, the following amount of fuel can be obtained from this volume:
- 102 liters of regular gasoline.
- 30 liters of diesel fuel.
- 25 liters of fuel used by aviation.
- 11 liters of refinery gas, which is obtained by distilling oil.
- 10 liters of secondary product - petroleum coke.
How is gasoline made?
In order to obtain fuel, it is necessary to carry out a number of operations with crude oil. The thing is that the initial product consists of a mixture of various hydrocarbons. It is also important to understand that each molecule of this substance contains a different number of carbon atoms. To put it simply, each of these molecules has its own height and weight.
To obtain gasoline molecules, which are the simplest and lightest, it is necessary to heat crude oil until the more complex and heavier particles are broken down into simpler ones - gasoline. In other words, to answer the question of how gasoline is made, we can say that it is obtained by heat treating crude oil. However, it is worth adding some smaller processes to this process, such as cleaning and processing.
Production process
If we answer the question of what gasoline is made from with a simple answer - from oil, then this is not an entirely correct statement, since this fuel also contains some impurities, but more on that later.
To obtain fuel in its primary form, it is necessary to subject the raw materials to primary processing. This treatment refers to the purification of oil from salts, as well as water impurities. These processes are carried out under the influence of an electric field. The result of this procedure is the separation of water from oil, as well as desalting to the required level. After completing this procedure, they proceed to thermal treatment of the oil. It is after such procedures that such fuels are obtained - gasoline, gas, diesel.
Next comes the catalytic reforming procedure. During this particular procedure, the resulting gasoline, after primary processing, is converted into fuel characterized by a high octane number. However, such as 92 or 95, are obtained by mixing different components that were obtained from different crude oil refining processes.
Octane number
If the question of what gasoline is made from has become more or less clear, then very few people know what the octane number is. Everyone knows that the name of each brand of gasoline contains an alphabetic as well as a digital designation. Letters such as A or AI indicate the method for determining the octane number. A - motor process, AI - research process. But the numbers that come after indicate the quantitative content of octane number in the fuel.
Everyone knows that both oil and gasoline are explosive substances. Since gasoline is obtained from oil by refining it, this property does not go away. The octane number indicates the fuel's resistance to detonation. In other words, the higher it is, the higher the safety of the fuel brand. However, it is worth understanding that this indicator is relative, and any spark will still cause an explosion.
Basic properties of gasoline
The main properties of gasoline include such characteristics as its chemical composition, as well as its ability to evaporate, burn, and ignite. In addition, one can also highlight resistance to detonation and corrosion activity.
It is important to know that all the physical and chemical properties of gasoline fuel will change depending on the amount of hydrocarbons and what kind of hydrocarbons it contains. For a more clear example, we can take the freezing point for gasoline as a basis. During normal processing, the freezing point of this liquid is -60 degrees Celsius. However, when using additional components, this figure can reach -71 degrees Celsius. The evaporation temperature of gasoline is 30 degrees. The higher this indicator rises, the faster evaporation will occur. It is also important to note that the amount of fuel vapor from 74 grams to 123 grams or more per cubic meter will already form an explosive mixture.
Chemical properties
In order to consider the chemical properties and their stability of gasoline, it is necessary to rely on the most important indicator - the time during which these properties remain unchanged. This indicator is the most important, since during long-term storage of fuel, the lightest hydrocarbons begin to evaporate, which greatly reduces the performance characteristics of the liquid as a whole. According to the state standards of the Russian Federation, it follows that the chemical composition of any brand of gasoline from 92 to 98 remained unchanged for five years. This period is prescribed taking into account the storage of explosive fuel in accordance with all rules.
Mini-refinery
Currently, the issue of production and purchase of fuel is quite acute, since resources are being depleted, and because of this, the price of this product is constantly increasing. In light of these events, the question arises: what is more profitable to buy - gasoline and other fuels - or to produce it yourself. It is important to understand that for most businesses and companies, fuel costs are the most extensive. It is in this situation that many come to consider the idea of a mini-refinery. This option doesn't seem so bad, especially considering the cost of fuel and the cost of a mini refinery. Almost every large entrepreneur can purchase such a mini-plant, let alone, say, a region of an entire country.
Types of refineries
Currently, you can purchase a mini-plant for oil refining of almost any type on the market. This is the most important criterion, since these industrial facilities have to be operated in a wide variety of climatic conditions. For this reason, the market is saturated with a variety of types of refineries. There are any specimens available, ranging from heat-tolerant and corrosion-resistant to “arctic” installations. A large selection of mini-refineries allows you to process the raw product under almost any conditions.
It is worth noting that they themselves can also run on different fuels. For their operation, you can use natural or liquefied gas, diesel fuel, fuel oil, and crude oil. This choice of fuel for the operation of the factory itself provides a wide range of possibilities for operating the facility, and also allows you to satisfy any individual preferences for the choice of working fuel product.
In the modern world, gasoline prices are steadily rising, despite the fact that the cost of oil is constantly falling.
In this regard, many are beginning to think about whether it is possible to make gasoline at home and how to do it.
Derivation from coal
There are two effective and proven methods. Both of these methods were developed by German scientists at the beginning of the last century.
During the Great Patriotic War, almost all German equipment was moved using coal fuel.
After all, as you know, there are no oil deposits in Germany, but coal mining is established. The Germans produced diesel and gasoline synthetic fuel from brown coal.
Surprisingly, from a chemical point of view, coal is not as different from oil as many people believe. They have the same basis - hydrogen and flammable carbon compounds. True, there is less hydrogen in coal. A combustible mixture can be obtained by leveling the hydrogen levels.
You can do this in the following ways:
- hydrogenation or otherwise liquefaction;
- gasification.
What is hydrogenation
Approximately 80 kg of gasoline can be obtained from one ton of coal. At the same time, coal must contain 35% volatile substances.
To begin processing, the coal is finely ground to a powder state. Then the coal dust is thoroughly dried. After this, it is mixed with fuel oil or oil to obtain a paste-like mass.
Hydrogenation is the addition of missing hydrogen to the coal mixture. We place the raw material in a specialized autoclave and heat it. The temperature in it should be at around 500 degrees, and the pressure should be 200 Bar.
In order for gasoline to be formed, two phases must go through:
- liquid phase;
- vapor phase.
Several rather complex chemical reactions take place in an autoclave. Coal is saturated with the necessary hydrogen, and the complex particles included in its composition break down into simple ones.
As a result, we get diesel fuel or gasoline. This will depend on the process itself.
Once again the entire hydrogenation process point by point:
- grinding coal to dust;
- adding oil to it;
- heating in an autoclave at high temperature.
It is very important to make the right equipment. It is quite difficult to make it yourself at home, because the pressure in autoclaves is higher than in oxygen cylinders.
It is important: Remember safety precautions. The process itself is quite explosive. Under no circumstances should you smoke near the unit or light a fire.
Gasification
Gasification is the decomposition of solid fuel into gases.
Later, the missing substances are added to the resulting gases and transformed into a liquid state to produce gasoline.
There are several ways to process coal into gasoline using gasification.
The first method can theoretically be used at home. It's called the Fischer-Tropsch method. But this method is quite labor-intensive to implement, requires too complex equipment, and in the end turns out to be unprofitable, since a lot of coal is wasted and the finished gasoline is cheaper.
In addition, a large amount of carbon dioxide is released, the processing process becomes very dangerous at home. Therefore, we will not analyze this method in more detail.
There is also a thermal gasification method. It is carried out by heating raw materials in the complete absence of oxygen. Naturally, this also requires appropriate equipment. After all, the temperature of coal decomposition into gas is 1200 degrees.
The main advantage of this method is that part of the gases is sent for the synthesis of gasoline fuel, and part for heating the raw materials. This helps reduce costs. Thus, the coal heats itself.
Making gasoline from old tires
You can make your own gasoline using old rubber tires.
For this you will need:
- rubber waste;
- bake;
- distiller;
- containers made of fireproof materials.
Expert advice: You shouldn’t make gasoline in a city apartment. The process is accompanied by smoke with a pungent smell of rubber.
Step-by-step instructions for making gasoline from rubber tires are as follows:
- It is necessary to prepare a metal barrel with a tight-fitting lid. In addition, you will need a heat-resistant tube. It must be connected from above to the lid. This will create a homemade retort. Then you need a container for condensate and another small container with two tubes to create a water seal. One tube is lowered into the water, and the second is held above it.
- Next, you need to assemble a device for producing carbon in liquid form. To do this, we connect the tube from our retort to the condensate. Then we also connect the condensate and the water seal with a hose. We connect the second tube to the stove, on which we install the retort. The result is a closed-loop system for cracking at high temperatures.
- Place the rubber in the retort and close the lid tightly, then heat it over high heat. At high temperatures, rubber molecules are destroyed. Sublimation occurs, i.e., a transition from a solid to a gaseous state, bypassing the liquid stage. This gas then enters our condenser, where the temperature is much lower. The vapors condense, and as a result, we get oil in liquid form.
- The resulting substance must be purified; for this you will need a distiller, which is often used when using moonshine stills. The suspension is brought to a boil at a temperature of 200 degrees, and gasoline is obtained.
Note: Avoid open flames during the distillation process. It is best to use an electric stove.
Alternative methods
Gasoline is made not only from coal and rubber tires.
It can be obtained from garbage, firewood, pellets, leaves, nut shells, seed husks, corn cobs, peat, straw, reeds, weeds, reeds, old sleepers, dry bird and animal manure, plastic bottles, medical waste, etc.
The process of producing gasoline at home, discussed above, is not as complicated as it seems at first glance. Terms such as hydrogenation, gasification, etc. can be misleading. But in fact, setting up production and making gasoline with your own hands is not as difficult as it seems.
We bring to your attention an interesting report on how to make gasoline at home:
In the modern world it is difficult to imagine life without transport, and transport is not transport without fuel. One of the most common types of fuel liquids is gasoline. What is it gasoline production technology- such a popular type of fuel.
As many know from the school curriculum, the main raw material for gasoline production considered oil. Oil is extracted using special drilling wells and, subsequently, through oil pipelines, or by rail or water transport, it is sent to oil refineries, where it is stored in specially prepared tanks. Thirty-two oil refineries are officially registered in Russia, thanks to which the oil industry remains at a high level.
Gasoline is one of the lightest molecules of all oil fractions, therefore, before obtaining gasoline, oil must undergo several refinings, that is, several types of fractions must be produced from it.
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Primary processing includes purification of oil from salts and water impurities. In order to clean oil from salts, reservoirs with liquid are exposed to electric current, resulting in a reaction of salt settling at the bottom of the reservoir and evaporation of water.
Next, the oil begins to undergo primary heat treatment, as a result of which gasoline with a low octane number (about 40-60) is released. This type of gasoline is not suitable for transport engines; it is usually exported or for further processing. After further thermal exposure, this fraction is converted into diesel fuel and can be used for many types of transport.
The less coke products and sulfur during oil refining, the higher the octane number, and, accordingly, the quality of gasoline. Therefore, to increase the octane number of gasoline, catalytic cracking and reforming processes are used.
The essence of the processes is the maximum splitting of heavy molecules of oil fractions into lighter ones. These processes produce the majority of all gasoline used on the world market. In special reactors, oil fractions are heated to a temperature of approximately 500 degrees and converted into light hydrogen molecules using catalysts.
Multicomponent aluminosilicates are used as catalysts. The approximate time taken to produce high-quality high-octane gasoline is about six to seven hours.
Video - how gasoline is produced:
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High-quality gasoline is pure gasoline, without a yellow tint, not cloudy, and without additional impurities. Only after careful testing and analysis is the finished high-quality gasoline sent for sale.
The oil refining industry does not stand still while the transport industry develops. With the development of transport, the production of such necessary fuel as gasoline increases. More and more oil refineries are focusing on improving oil production equipment and technologies so that gasoline meets all quality standards and is in demand on the market.
A unique combustible mixture is used today to propel vehicles with an internal combustion engine installed. Gasoline first appeared on the territory of modern Russia in 1823. Then they began to produce it in primitive distillation installations, more similar to a moonshine still.
After successful attempts at processing and a number of unique experiments, the first plant for the production of gasoline, kerosene and other petrochemical products was opened in the city of Mozdok. From that moment, the oil industry began to develop rapidly and everyone had the opportunity to fill their car with high-quality gasoline. And every time you refuel your car, looking at this unique fuel, you ask yourself the question: “So how is gasoline made?”
Interesting fact: At the end of the 19th century, the first internal combustion engine was created in Europe. Its creator Gottlieb Daimler at that moment began a real revolution, as a result of which we can see such a variety of cars and vehicles every day.
What is gasoline made from?
To produce gasoline, you need to extract clean, uncontaminated oil from the depths of the earth. To do this, they use drilling rigs and special equipment that pumps it to the surface and fills storage tanks. Using vehicles or a pipeline, it is sent to a special processing plant. The oil goes through several stages of purification and separation from the original mass of pure high-octane gasoline and other components. The result is gasoline, diesel fuel and jet fuel. The finished product is sent for sale to all corners of the planet.
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At every oil refinery, there are special tanks in which the raw materials are stored until the day gasoline is produced. A special pipeline fills containers with fresh oil from wells and, when completely filled, pumps it out to the purification stage.
The oil enters a special apparatus for preliminary purification from foreign inclusions. Water is added to the raw material and gently mixed until a homogeneous mass is obtained. Electricity is passed through the contents of the tank, causing the salts to settle to the bottom. When exposed to electricity, the oil is washed with water and cleared of salts by 90%. Clean oil is distilled through a pipeline to the stage of atmospheric-vacuum distillation and catalytic cracking.
Primary processing
In an atmospheric-vacuum distillation apparatus, crude oil is heated to a boiling point under the influence of elevated temperatures and separated into components. As a result, straight-run gasoline is obtained, which is sent for export and raw materials for further processing. After complete separation, using a special pipeline system, gasoline is pumped for temporary storage, and the raw material is pumped into a vacuum unit. Boiling raw materials are heated even more to produce light petroleum products suitable for diesel fuel. To isolate fractions 92 and 95, the raw material is sent to the stage of catalytic reforming and cracking.
Recycling
Through the pipeline system, the raw material enters the catalytic reforming apparatus. It removes impurities and foreign inclusions, resulting in pure fractions. They are assigned octane numbers of 95 or 92 and sent to the mixing stage. In another part of the plant, a catalytic cracking process is carried out, as a result of which contaminated raw materials are cleaned of sulfur and foreign impurities. After complete purification, the liquids from the two processes are mixed to produce gasoline.
Interesting fact: for one person on the planet, for one day of life, 2 liters of crude oil have already been extracted and processed, which you can easily buy in the form of gasoline and refuel your car.
Quality checking
In a special laboratory, oil, raw materials from different stages of production and finished gasoline are checked for quality.
Gasoline - it’s hard to remember something more familiar to a motorist. Every day, cars burn hundreds of thousands of liters of this fuel, but few car owners have seriously thought about how it is produced, the characteristics of the fuel composition and other aspects.
Some terminology
- Aromatic;
- Olefinic;
- Paraffin and others.
These hydrocarbons have flammable properties. The boiling point of the mixture varies from 33 to 250 °C, which depends on the additives used.
What is gasoline made from?
Gasoline production scheme
Fuel is produced at oil refineries. The production process itself is very complex and is divided into several cycles.
Crude oil first enters the plant through pipelines, is pumped into huge tanks, and then settles. Next, oil washing begins - water is added to it, and then electric current is passed through. As a result, salts settle to the bottom and walls of the tanks.
During subsequent atmospheric-vacuum distillation, the oil is heated and divided into several types. There are 2 stages of processing:
- Vacuum;
- Thermal.
Upon completion of the primary refining process, catalytic reforming begins, during which gasoline is further purified and fractions of 92-grade, 95-grade and 98-grade gasoline are extracted.
Photo: aif.ru
This process, also called recycling, includes 2 main stages:
- Cracking – purification of oil from sulfur impurities;
- Reforming is giving a substance an octane number.
Video: How gasoline is made from oil. Just something complicated
At the end of these stages, fuel quality control is carried out, which takes several hours.
It is noteworthy that domestic factories (in the majority) produce 240 liters of gasoline from 1 ton of oil. The rest comes from gas, fuel oil and aviation fuel.
What is octane number
This phrase is known to many people, but not everyone knows what exactly this term means and why it is so important.
Octane number is the ability of a fuel (including gasoline) to resist spontaneous combustion under pressure. In other words, its detonation resistance.
During engine operation, the piston compresses the fuel-air mixture (compression stroke). At this moment, when the finished mixture is under pressure, it may spontaneously ignite even before the spark plug has given a spark. People call this phenomenon in one word - . A characteristic sign of detonation is noise in the engine - a metallic ringing.
Therefore, the higher the octane number, the higher the ability of the fuel to resist detonation.
Gasoline labeling
At gas stations you can find a variety of names, not excluding those that are most familiar to most motorists. Typically, gasoline is marked with the letters “A” and “AI”. Their decoding:
- “A” - this designation indicates that;
- “AI” - the letter “I” means the method by which the octane number was determined.
There are 2 ways to determine the octane number - research (AI) and motor (AM).
Research method - it is determined by testing the fuel on a single-cylinder power plant, subject to a variable compression ratio, crankshaft speed of 600 rpm, ignition timing of 13° and air (intake) temperature of 52 ° C. These conditions are similar to light and medium loads.
Motor method - its determination is carried out on a similar installation, but other conditions are different. The air (intake) temperature is 149 °C, the crankshaft speed is 900 rpm, and the ignition timing is variable. This mode is similar to high loads - driving uphill, running the engine under load, etc.
Consequently, the number of AM is always lower than AI, and the difference in readings indicates the sensitivity of the fuel to the operation of the power unit in different modes. It is noteworthy that in some countries in the West, the octane number is defined as the average between the “AM” and “AI” values. In the Russian Federation, only a higher “AI” value is indicated, which can be seen at all gas stations.
Gasoline brands
The following designations are most often found at domestic gas stations:
- Gasoline AI-98. Different Unlike AI-95, which is produced in accordance with GOST, the 98th is produced in accordance with TU 38.401-58-122-95, as well as TU 38.401-58-127-95. In the production of this brand of gasoline, the use of alkyl lead antiknock agents is prohibited. This high-octane gasoline is produced using a number of components - toluene, isopentane, isooctane and alkyl gasoline.
- Extra AI-95 is gasoline of improved quality, which is achieved through the use of anti-knock additives. Produced from distillate raw materials, catalytic cracking gasoline, with the addition of isoparaffin elements (aromatic) and gas gasoline. There is no lead in the composition, which ensures high quality gasoline.
- AI-95 - the main difference from Extra AI-95 is the concentration of lead, which is 30% higher;
- AI-93 - divided into 2 categories: leaded and unleaded. Leaded fuel is produced on the basis of catalytic reformed gasoline (mild mode) with the addition of toluene and alkyl gasoline, as well as a butane-butylene fraction. Unleaded is produced from the same catalytic reforming gasoline (hard mode), with the addition of butane-butylene fraction, alkyl gasoline and isopentane;
- AI-92 is the most common medium-quality gasoline on the market, containing anti-knock additives. Maximum density – 0.77 g/cmA-923. Can be either leaded or unleaded;
- AI-91 – differs in the content of anti-knock additives. This is unleaded gasoline with an unstandardized density and a certain percentage of lead in the composition;
- A-80 - the composition of this gasoline is similar to that of AI-92. Maximum density – 0.755g/cmA-803;
- A-76 - usually used in agriculture. Leaded and unleaded A-76 with non-standardized density is produced. It contains additives of various types (anti-oxidation and anti-knock), straight-run gasoline, as well as final, pyrolysis and cracking (thermal and catalytic).
Video: AI-92 or AI-95? Acceleration to 100 km and fuel consumption on Mazda Demio (Ford Festiva Mini Wagon)
What kind of gasoline should I use?
Many people are looking for the answer to this question so as not to inadvertently harm the engine. In this case, everything is simple - the fuel requirements are indicated in the operating instructions for a particular car, and are also duplicated on the back of the gas tank flap. If the manufacturer indicated AI-95 as the recommended fuel, then refuel with 92 only at your own peril and risk. However, it is worth remembering that both the octane number and the brand of fuel may be indicated in the manual and on the label.
Also, different types of gasoline may be recorded in the manual. For example:
- AI-92 – acceptable;
- AI-95 – recommended;
- AI-98 - to improve performance.
As you can see, you only need to fill the tank with fuel recommended by the car manufacturer. However, using gasoline with a higher octane number will not cause any harm to the engine. After all, the higher the octane number, the slower the combustion rate and the greater the efficiency of the fuel, which has a beneficial effect on engine performance, efficiency and other aspects. As a rule, the increase in power and efficiency reaches 7%. In addition, modern cars are equipped with ECUs that take into account the quality of the fuel and its octane number, adjusting the settings.
This means that AI-95 must be filled into the tank of a modern car with an atmospheric engine at a high-quality gas station. As a last resort, AI-92 is allowed. You can also focus on the compression ratio - if it is below 10 units, you can fill in AI-92. If higher - only 95th.
As for turbocharged engines, the recommended fuel for them is AI-98 or Extra AI-95, but not AI-92.
Is it possible to mix gasoline?
Many people ask this question. In general, nothing catastrophic will happen from mixing fuel with different octane numbers, but only if you mix the recommended gasoline with a higher octane number. For example, the 92 recommended for a car should be mixed with 95. However, there is no need to downgrade. It is also worth remembering that the density of gasoline with different octane numbers differs, so its mixing may not occur at all - fuel with a higher octane number will simply end up at the top of the tank, and with a lower one at the bottom.