If we consider the question of what gasoline is made of, then, of course, many can immediately say that of oil. This statement is true, but this is only the tip of the iceberg, and the actual process of fuel production is much more complicated.
Gasoline at refineries
So, it’s worth mentioning right away that the process of producing gasoline fuel is a long process that requires patience and knowledge of chemistry.
The production of gasoline in Russia involved 32 oil refineries. Such a number of industrial capacities allows the Russian Federation to maintain a high fuel grade. What is gasoline made from? Of course, the initial raw material for the production of this combustible fuel is crude oil. For example, you can take 1 barrel of oil. To make it clear, 1 barrel is 159 liters. It is also important to note that during the processing of crude oil, its volume is constantly increasing 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 distillation of oil.
- 10 liters of secondary product - petroleum coke.
How do gasoline
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. Simply put, each of these molecules has its own height and weight.
In order to obtain gasoline molecules that are the simplest and lightest, it is necessary to heat the crude oil until more complex and heavier particles break apart to simpler ones - gasoline. In other words, if we answer the question of how gasoline is made, we can say that it is obtained by heat treatment of crude oil. However, it is worth adding some more smaller processes to this process, such as refining and processing.
Production process
If you answer the question of what gas is made of, the simple answer is from oil, then this is not a completely true statement, as there are some impurities in this fuel, but more on that later.
To obtain fuel in its primary form, it is necessary to subject the raw material to primary processing. Under this treatment understand the cleaning of oil from salts, as well as impurities of water. 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 desalination to the desired rate. After the end of this procedure, they proceed to heat treatment of oil. It is after such procedures that such fuel is obtained - gasoline, gas, diesel.
The following is a catalytic reforming procedure. During this particular procedure, the resulting gasoline, after the initial treatment, is converted to a fuel with a high octane rating. However, such grades of gasoline as the 92nd or 95th are obtained by mixing different components that were obtained as a result of different processes of processing crude oil.
Octane number
If the question of what gas is made of has become more or less clear, then very few people know that such an octane number. Everyone knows that the name of each brand of gasoline contains a letter as well as a digital designation. Letters such as A or AI, and indicate a method for determining the octane number. A - motor process, AI - research. But the numbers that come after, and show the quantitative content of the octane number in the fuel.
Everyone knows that both oil and gasoline are explosive substances. Since gasoline from oil is obtained by processing it, this property does not disappear. The octane number indicates the resistance of the fuel to detonation. In other words, the higher it is, the higher the safety of the fuel brand. However, it should be understood that this indicator is relative, and any spark will still cause an explosion.
The main properties of gasoline
The main properties of gasoline include its characteristics, such as chemical composition, as well as the ability to evaporate, burn, ignite. In addition, it is possible to distinguish resistance to detonation and corrosion activity.
It is important to know that all the physical and chemical properties of gasoline fuels will vary depending on how many hydrocarbons and which hydrocarbons it contains. For a more illustrative example, you can take the freezing temperature for gasoline as a basis. In normal processing, the freezing rate of this liquid is -60 degrees Celsius. However, when using additional components, this figure can reach -71 degrees Celsius. The temperature of gasoline evaporation 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 in gasoline, it is necessary to be based on the most important indicator - the time that these properties remain unchanged. This indicator is the most important, since during prolonged storage of fuel, the lightest hydrocarbons begin to evaporate, which greatly reduces the operational characteristics of the liquid as a whole. According to state standards of the Russian Federation, it follows that the chemical composition of any brand of gasoline from 92nd to 98th remained unchanged for five years. This period is prescribed taking into account the storage of explosive fuel in accordance with all the rules.
Mini refineries
Currently, the issue of production and purchase of fuel is quite acute, as resources are depleted, and because of this, the price of this product is constantly increasing. In the light of these events, the question arises, what is more profitable to buy - gasoline and other fuel - or to produce it yourself. It is important to understand that for most enterprises and companies, fuel costs are the most extensive. It is in this situation that many people come to consider the idea of a mini-refinery. This option does not seem so bad, especially considering the cost of fuel and the cost of mini-refineries. Practically every large entrepreneur can purchase such a mini-factory, what can we say about, say, the region of an entire country.
Types of refinery
Currently, the market can buy a mini-refinery for the processing of oil of almost any type. This is the most important criterion, since it is necessary to exploit these industrial capacities in a wide variety of climatic conditions. For this reason, the market is saturated with various types of refineries. There are any specimens, ranging from heat-resistant and corrosion-resistant, to the "Arctic" installations. A wide selection of mini-refineries allows the processing of crude product in virtually any environment.
It is worth noting that the refineries themselves can also run on different fuels. For their functioning, you can use natural or liquefied gas, diesel fuel, fuel oil, crude oil. Such a choice of fuel for the operation of the factory itself provides a wide range of opportunities for the operation of the facility, and also allows you to satisfy any individual preferences for choosing a working combustible product.