Refining facts for kids
Refining is a process that cleans or makes something stronger and purer. It's used for many things like natural resources, food, and even special products. The place where refining happens is usually called a refinery.
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What is Petroleum Refining?
Petroleum, also known as crude oil, is a thick, dark liquid found deep underground. It contains many different hydrocarbons. After the first step, called distillation, crude oil still has unwanted things in it. These include chemicals with sulfur, oxygen, and Nitrogen.
These extra chemicals are not good for products like lubricants (oils that make machines run smoothly). They can make lubricants wear out faster. So, these unwanted parts are taken out using a process called hydrogenation. This process creates Hydrogen sulfide and ammonia gases. These gases are very toxic and must be handled with great care.
How is Vegetable Oil Refined?
Vegetable oils and fats come from plants. They are made by either chemical or mechanical ways. When first made, these oils often have things like strong smells or colors (pigments) that we don't want. These things can affect how the oil tastes, smells, looks, and how long it stays fresh. They also affect if the oil can be used for other products.
During refining, a small amount of the usable oil, about four to eight percent, can be lost. There are two main ways to refine vegetable oil: chemical refining and physical refining.
Why Refine Sugar?
Sugar is often washed and treated with a thick syrup. Most people expect sugar to be white, but it can have a natural color. The white sugar you buy in stores is almost pure sucrose. It is usually about 99.8 percent pure by weight.
Refining Metals
There are two main ways to make metals purer:
- Refining by fire: This method uses heat to clean the metal.
- Refining by electrolysis: This method uses electricity to purify the metal.
For metals that need to be very, very pure, both processes are often used. For metals that don't need to be quite as pure, only the first method might be used.
Cleaning Table Salt
Salt that comes from evaporation of seawater needs to be cleaned. This is done by dissolving it in a strong salt water mix called brine. Then, the salt is made to turn back into crystals. After this cleaning, it's hard to tell the difference between sea salt and salt dug up from rocks through mining.
Sometimes, iodine is added to table salt. This is because iodine is important for our health. In some places, Potassium fluoride might also be added.
See also
In Spanish: Refinación para niños
