William Burton introduced what oil refining process in 1913?

• A. Hydrogenation
• B. Thermal cracking
• C. Catalytic cracking
• D. Fractional distillation

Answer: (B)

Turning heavy hydrocarbon molecules into lighter ones to boost gasoline production is the idea behind early refinery cracking. William Burton introduced the thermal cracking process in 1913, where oil fractions are heated to very high temperatures to break large molecules into smaller, more valuable ones like gasoline. This method relies on heat alone, without a catalyst, and helped expand refinery output at the time, though it often produced more byproducts and coke than later methods. Hydrogenation adds hydrogen to molecules rather than breaking them apart, so it’s not about cracking. Fractional distillation is the separation of components by boiling point, not changing molecular size. Catalytic cracking, which came later, uses a catalyst to lower the cracking temperature and improve yields. Therefore, Burton’s 1913 contribution is thermal cracking.