Harningtyas Alifin Jasmin XI Science 1

Fuel
To produce energy, we usually use combustion reaction between fuels (such as natural gases, coal, and petroleum) and oxygen. Unfortunately, the usage of these fuels is limited and risky. For example, natural gases which are consist of methane, ethane, propane, and butane; these gases cannot be smelt or seen. Furthermore, methane is very dangerous, if it is leaking to the atmosphere; because it will be one of the strongest green-house effect gas. To prevent this thing happen, mercaptan is added into the natural gasses. Mercaptan is a substance whose smell is unpleasant. Because of the leaking risk, natural gasses can only be used around the factory. Also to take the natural gasses, the scientists have to disturb the environment to check if the natural gasses are existed. But the usage of natural gasses is cleaner and efficient.

The common structure of functional groups of mercaptan. R is the hydrocarbon and the blue one is mercaptan

The other example is petroleum. From petroleum can produce LPG (Liquefied Petroleum Gas), gasoline, kerosene, solar, and etcetera from fractional distillation.

Illustration of fractional distillation

The usage of fuel isnt proportional with the forming of fuel. To prevent the scarcity and prepare for the substitution fuel, synthetic gas is made and the research to make hydrogen as fuel is developed. Synthetic gas is made from coal gasification. Because coal produces a great pollution, this coal should be changed into gas. Gasification is done by react the heat coal with heat steam.

Diagram of synthetic gas from coal gasification

Besides from coal, hydrogen, tar sand, oil shale, and biomass also can be used to be a synthetic fuel. Hydrogen can be produced from rockets fuel and the product of the combustion is water. So, its safe. Tar sand is a sandstone sediments that contain organic material called bitumen. Oil shale is a fine granule of the composition of sedimentary rock similar to limestone. The process to make oil shale become synthetic fuel is the same with coal. Biomass can be produced from plants or animals. There are other methods to make synthetic fuel such as indirect disbursement (gasification which produces CO, H, CH4 and then CO and H is extracted and reacted with catalysts), catalytic disbursement (Hydrogen gas is added into the solid coal in a pressurized container and then heated, wait until its cool), solvent extraction (liquid solvent added to the soil coal, the solvent will lead H and C decomposition, and then form a solution that finally will mix with hydrogen) , and pyrolysis (solid coal is heated together with hydrogen gas in high temperature, the molocules of coal will be in the condition of the weakest bond and allows hydrogen joined). Those methods produce liquid fuel.

Source:
http://amrihgunawan.blogspot.com/2009/08/bahan-bakar-sintetis.html (Oct 17th, 2012; 00.04) http://www.artech.co.id/detail.php?id=5&lang=id (Oct 16th, 2012; 22.37) http://www.indoenergi.com/2012/07/gas-alam-dan-dampaknya-pada-lingkungan.html (Oct 16th, 2012; 20.48)