Chemical

Investigations

Cracking

Teacher/Technician
Guide
 Cracking
UNIT 2 PPA 2
INTRODUCTION
Cracking is an industrial process in which alkanes are split into a mixture of smaller
molecules some of which are unsaturated.
Cracking is important for two reasons:
it converts long-chain alkanes from crude oil into shorter alkanes for which there is a greater
demand
it produces unsaturated hydrocarbons which are important starting materials in the
manufacture of plastics.
High temperatures are needed to crack alkanes and this is expensive. However, if a catalyst is
used the process can be carried out at much lower temperatures.
The aim of this experiment is to crack liquid paraffin (a mixture of alkanes of chain length
C20 and greater) and to demonstrate that some of the products are unsaturated.
Each group will need

2 x test tubes and rack stopper fitted with glass delivery tube
clamp stand and clamp Bunsen burner and heating mat
mineral wool tongs
~ 1cm3 liquid paraffin 0.5g aluminium oxide catalyst
~ 3cm3 0.02 mol l-1 bromine solution

Safety
Bromine fumes can be given off from bromine water but the quantity will be small and the
dilute solution means this is not a significant hazard.
Wear eye protection when heating the sample.
Avoid breathing the gases produced in the cracking process.
Procedure
1. Add liquid paraffin to a dry test tube to a depth of about 1 cm.
2. Add a plug of mineral wool to soak up and support the liquid paraffin.
3. Clamp the test tube at its
mouth and in a horizontal
position.
4. Add a spatulaful of aluminium
oxide catalyst to the middle of
this test tube.
5. Add bromine solution to a second test tube to a depth of about 3 cm and place it in the
test tube rack.
6. Fit the stopper and delivery tube to the clamped test tube and arrange the apparatus so
that the end of the delivery tube is dipping into the bromine solution.
DO NOT START HEATING YET.
7. Check with your teacher/lecturer that the apparatus is assembled correctly.
8. Check with your teacher/lecturer that you know how to avoid 'suck-back' and what to
do if 'suck-back' does occur.
9. Heat the catalyst strongly for several seconds and then flick the flame onto the
mineral wool for a few seconds in order to vapourise some of the liquid paraffin.
10. 1Continue heating the catalyst and from time to time transfer the heat to the mineral
wool. At the same time observe what is happening to the bromine solution.
11. When a change has been observed in the bromine solution and before you stop
heating, lift the clamp stand so that the delivery tube is removed from the bromine
solution. This will prevent the possibility of 'suck-back'.
Results sheet
What was the aim of the experiment?
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Procedure
Draw a labelled diagram of the assembled apparatus used to crack liquid paraffin and to test
the products for unsaturation.

Explain what is meant by 'suck-back' and the steps you took to prevent it.
Results
Record your observations.

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Conclusion
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