On This Day – January 07 : American chemist William M. Burton patented the process of thermal cracking on this day in 1913

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This process involves breaking down large hydrocarbon molecules into smaller ones, which increases the amount of gasoline that refineries can produce from a barrel of crude oil.

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What happened today in chemistry? Explore 366 days of chemistry history at On This Day in Chemistry.

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Specification

Wales
- GCSE
  - WJEC Chemistry
    - Unit 2: CHEMICAL BONDING, APPLICATION OF CHEMICAL REACTIONS and ORGANIC CHEMISTRY
      - 2.5 CRUDE OIL, FUELS AND ORGANIC CHEMISTRY
        (j) the cracking of some fractions to produce smaller and more useful hydrocarbon molecules, including monomers (alkenes) which can be used to make plastics
  - WJEC Combined science
    - Unit 5: Chemistry 2
      - 5.5 CRUDE OIL, FUELS AND CARBON COMPOUNDS
        (j) the cracking of some fractions to produce smaller and more useful hydrocarbon molecules, including monomers (alkenes) which can be used to make plastics
Northern Ireland
- GCSE
  - CCEA Chemistry
    - Unit 2: Further Chemical Reactions, Rates and Equilibrium, Calculations and Organic Chemistry
      - 2.5 Organic chemistry
        2.5.8 explain that cracking involves the breakdown of larger saturated hydrocarbons (alkanes) into smaller more useful ones, some of which are unsaturated (alkenes); and
  - CCEA Double award science
    - Unit C2: Further Chemical Reactions, Rates and Equilibrium, Calculations and Organic Chemistry
      - 2.5 Organic chemistry
        2.5.8 explain that cracking involves the breakdown of larger saturated hydrocarbons (alkanes) into smaller more useful ones, some of which are unsaturated (alkenes); and
Republic of Ireland
- Leaving Certificate
  - Chemistry
    - 5. Fuels and heats of reactions
      - 5.5 Oil Refining and its Products
        Depth of treatment
        Fractionation of crude oil.
        Social and Applied Aspects
        (iii) catalytic cracking.
- Junior Cycle
  - Science
    - The nature of science
      - Science in society
        9. Research and present information on the contribution that scientists make to scientific discovery and invention and its impact on society.
        10. Appreciate the role of science in society; and its personal, social and global importance; and how society influences scientific research.

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