What is fractional distillation used for in a refinery?

Fractional distillation is a crucial process in refineries, employed to separate crude oil into its various components, or fractions, based on their different boiling points. During this process, crude oil is heated, and as it vaporizes, the vapors rise through a distillation column. Because each component of the crude oil mixture boils at a specific temperature, they can be collected at different levels of the column as they condense back into liquid form.

This method allows refineries to efficiently produce a range of products, including gasoline, diesel, kerosene, and lubricating oils, all of which have distinct boiling point ranges. The separation not only enables the refineries to utilize these components effectively but also optimizes the yield of each desired product from the crude oil feedstock. The other answer options touch on different processes but do not accurately represent the primary role of fractional distillation in refining operations.