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How was gasoline invented?
Gasoline was discovered nearly 160 years ago as a byproduct of refining crude oil to make kerosene for lighting. There was no use for gasoline at the time, so it was burned at the refinery, converted to a gaseous fuel for gas lights, or simply discarded. In 1911, gasoline outsold kerosene for the first time.
What was a byproduct of the oil refining process?
Refineries can produce high-value products such as gasoline, diesel fuel, and jet fuel from light crude oil with simple distillation. When refineries use simple distillation on denser (heavier) crude oils (with lower API gravity), they produce low-value products.
What is the process that turns oil into gasoline?
Simply put, distillation uses heat to separate petroleum into different products. The heated oil then separates into various com- ponents based on their boiling temperatures. Gasoline, for example, boils at a relatively low temperature and rises to the top of the tower.
When was lead first used in gasoline?
In 1921, automotive engineers working for General Motors discovered that tetraethyl lead (better known as lead) provided octane to gasoline, preventing engine knock.
Why was lead added gasoline?
Tetraethyl lead was added to gasoline beginning in 1922 to help engines run better. However, lead is poisonous to humans. The U.S. began phasing out leaded gasoline in 1975 not for health reasons, but because it fouled catalytic converters, which were just then being mandated to reduce emissions.
When was oil refining invented?
The world’s first systematic petroleum refinery was built in Ploiești, Romania in 1856 using the abundant oil available in Romania.
What are the products obtained on refining petroleum write their main uses?
(1) Gasoline-46% Gasoline is used to fuel internal combustion engines for cars, motorbikes, trucks.
What happens in an oil refinery?
Petroleum refineries change crude oil into petroleum products for use as fuels for transportation, heating, paving roads, and generating electricity and as feedstocks for making chemicals. Refining breaks crude oil down into its various components, which are then selectively reconfigured into new products.
Where do refineries get their oil?
Even if EIA could determine the origin of the gasoline sold at fueling stations, the source of the crude oil and other liquids used at refineries may vary. Most refiners use a mix of crude oils from various domestic and foreign sources.
What was the main reason that unleaded gasoline was introduced?
Unleaded gasoline was introduced in the 1970s when health problems from lead became apparent. In the United States, leaded gasoline for use in on-road vehicles was completely phased out as of January 1, 1996. Most other countries have also stopped using leaded gasoline in vehicles.
Why was lead removed from gasoline?
Why did they remove lead from gasoline?
Tetraethyl lead was added to gasoline beginning in 1922 to help engines run better. The U.S. began phasing out leaded gasoline in 1975 not for health reasons, but because it fouled catalytic converters, which were just then being mandated to reduce emissions.