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Synthetic fuel facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts
NREL FT diesel vs conventional diesel photo
Side-by-side comparison of FT synthetic fuel and conventional fuel. The synthetic fuel is clear as water because of a near-absence of sulfur and aromatics.

A synthetic fuel (or synfuel) is a fuel in liquid or gas form that can be manufactured from coal or in the form of oil extracted from shale or tar sands. It can also be made from non-food crops. Tar sands are a combination of sand and a thick oil called bitumen. This, along with oil shale, which is a layer of rock riddled with hydrocarbons in the form of kerogen, can be heated with steam to remove the crude oil in the two substances. Like oil, it must be refined before being put to use.


Images for kids

  • ElewatorWeglowyPolice

    Ruins of the German synthetic petrol plant (Hydrierwerke Pölitz – Aktiengesellschaft) in Police, Poland

  • Coal Liquefaction Technologies diagram from Jan 28 09 technical support document CTL industry overview published by the Office of Air and Radiation US EPA

    This is a listing of many of the different technologies used in 2009 for synthetic fuel production. Please note that although this list was compiled for coal to liquids technologies, many of the same processes can also be used with biomass or natural gas feedstocks.

  • Coal and biomass co converstion to transportation fuels, Michael E Reed, DOE NETL Office of Fossil Energy, oct 17 2007

    Lifecycle carbon emissions profiles of various fuels, including many synthetic fuels. Coal and biomass co-conversion to transportation fuels, Michael E. Reed, DOE NETL Office of Fossil Energy, Oct 17 2007

  • OSD Clean Fuel Initiative FT Diesel Emissions Presentation Slide

    Using Fischer Tropsch diesel results in dramatic across the board tailpipe emissions reductions relative to conventional fuels

  • OSD Clean Fuel Initiative FT Jet Emissions Presentation Slide

    Using Fischer Tropsch jet fuels have been proven to dramatically reduce particulate and other aircraft emissions

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Combustible sintético para niños

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