10 Examples of Fuels

It is called fuels to all matter susceptible to reactions of oxidation violent that release amounts of caloric energy (exothermic), usually releasing carbon dioxide (CO₂) and others chemical compounds as a residue. For example: wood, kerosene, natural gas. This behavior is known as combustion and responds to the formula:

fuel + oxidizer = products + energy

Types of fuels

There are different forms of fuel and different classification criteria. According to their chemical constitution there are:

Fuel characteristics

Examples of fuels

1. Coal. Coal is one of the forms of carbon in nature, along with graphite and diamonds, agglomerations of atoms of this element but arranged in a very different way, so that some are more resistant than others and have different physical and chemical properties. In the case of mineral coal, it is a very flammable black and sedimentary rock due to its additional content of hydrogen, sulfur and other elements.
2. Wood. Composed of cellulose and lignin, substances secreted by the trunk of trees, wood grows year after year in a system of concentric rings. It has been the fuel par excellence for ovens, fireplaces and others since ancient times, since it burns relatively easily and forms embers (for cooking on the grill). This also often causes forest fires capable of consuming large tracts of wood and
   instagram story viewer
   organic material.
3. Kerosene. Also known as canfin or kerex, it is a liquid mixture of hydrocarbons, flammable and obtained by oil distillation, used in stoves and lamps initially and nowadays used as jet fuel (Jet Petrol) and in the manufacture of pesticides and as solvent.
4. Gasoline. It is the most refined product of fuel oil derivatives. This mixture of hydrocarbons is obtained by distillation fractional (FCC) and is used to power internal combustion engines around the world. It has a high energy efficiency in relation to its mass and is classified according to a present octane number or octane number. Its combustion, however, releases numerous gases and compounds toxic to the atmosphere.
5. Alcohols. They are organic substances composed of a hydroxyl group (-OH) covalently bonded to a atom saturated carbon. They are very common substances in nature and are produced as a result of the fermentation of sugars. Their particular chemical properties make them good solvents, fuels and, in the specific case of ethanol, a component of many beverages.
6. Natural gas. Natural gas is a fossil fuel product of a light mixture of gaseous hydrocarbons that is possible to find in underground deposits or accompanying coal or oil deposits in the nature. It is widely used to power combustion engines, urban heating and power plants.
7. Vegetable oil. This organic compound is obtained from the seeds, fruits and stems of the plants in whose tissues it is produced (for example, sunflower, olive or corn). It is composed, like most fatty acids, of triglycerides (three fatty acids and an ester), which is why it is used as food, to make soaps and other products, and even as a biofuel in hybrid or adapted vehicles.
8. Benzene. This aromatic hydrocarbon of chemical formula C₆H₆ whose carbon atoms occupy the vertices of a regular hexagon, it is a colorless and highly flammable liquid, carcinogenic and with a sweet aroma. It is perhaps the most produced chemical in the world, since it is essential to synthesize other hydrocarbons and chemical compounds, in addition to being an essential part of numerous vehicle fuels and solvents.
9. Magnesium. It is the chemical element with the symbol Mg, the seventh in abundance in the earth's crust and third among those dissolved in the water of the sea. The Mg ion²⁺ constitutes a ion essential to all forms of life, although this metal it is never pure in nature. It is highly flammable, especially in the form of chips or dust, producing an intense white light that was often used in the early days of photography. However, once turned on it is difficult to turn off, given its reactivity with nitrogen and CO.₂ of the atmosphere.
10. Propane. It is a colorless and odorless organic gas with the chemical formula C₃H₈, whose enormous combustibility and explosiveness make it ideal, together with butane gas (C₄H₁₀), to power ovens, stoves and other domestic equipment since at room temperature it is inert when in contact with many compounds and, therefore, relatively safe. Both are obtained from various stages of oil refining and together they constitute the majority of flammable gases in common commercial use today (liquefied gas) in cylinders and carafes.

Follow with: