Final answer:
The process used to separate the components of natural gas is called fractional distillation. During this process, the natural gas is heated, vaporized, and then condensed to collect different components based on their boiling points. Fractional distillation is also used in oil refineries to separate the components of crude oil.
Step-by-step explanation:
The process used to separate the components of natural gas is called fractional distillation. During fractional distillation, the natural gas is heated up and vaporized, and then the vapor is condensed. The components with lower boiling points, such as methane, rise to the top and are collected as the lighter fractions, while the components with higher boiling points remain at the bottom as the heavier fractions.
For example, when natural gas contains butane and propane as by-products, these can be separated and cleaned at a gas processing plant. The by-products can then be used for various purposes, like cooking on gas grills.
Oil refineries also use fractional distillation to separate the components of crude oil. The crude oil is heated to high temperatures, causing the different components to vaporize at different heights in a fractionating column. As the vaporized components cool and condense at different levels, they are collected as separate fractions with different compositions.