BRAINCAKECracking and Reforming
Shorter chain alkanes, branched and cyclic hydrocarbons are better fuels as they undergo more efficient combustion. Since the demand for short-chain, branched and cyclic hydrocarbons exceeds the supply whilst there is a surplus of longer, straight-chain hydrocarbons, longer-chain hydrocarbons are converted into shorter-chain hydrocarbons by thermal or catalytic cracking, and straight-chain hydrocarbons into branched or cyclic hydrocarbons by reforming.
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Key terms in this lesson
- cracking
- The breakdown of longer-chain hydrocarbons into shorter-chain hydrocarbons, including at least one alkene, using heat and often a catalyst.
- reforming
- The conversion of straight-chain alkanes into branched-chain or cyclic alkanes, usually using a platinum catalyst.
More in Alkanes
- Crude Oil
- Complete Combustion
- Incomplete Combustion
- Oxides of Sulfur and Nitrogen
- Catalytic Converters
- Alternative Fuels
- Free Radical Substitution
All 8 lessons in Alkanes · All OCR A-level Organic Chemistry topics