Saturate, Aromatic, Resin and Asphaltene

Okay kiddo, let's try to understand these big words.

Saturate:
Imagine you have a bucket filled with water. Now, if you add some sand to it, the sand will absorb some of the water and the remaining water will be clear. Similarly, when we talk about oil, we can divide the oil into different parts based on their properties. Saturates are a part of oil that does not react with other chemicals, meaning they are not affected by chemical reactions. They are clear, odorless, and like water, they don't mix with other chemicals.

Aromatic:
Aromatic compounds are like a rose, which has a strong and pleasant smell. Aromatic compounds can be found in oil, and they give oil a strong smell. Aromatic compounds are like the color of oil, they are what make oil look darker. So, just like a rose has a strong smell and gives color to the garden, aromatic compounds give oil a distinct odor and color.

Resin:
You might have seen sticky gum on your shoe, that's like resin. Resin in oil is a sticky substance that can be found in some parts of oil. It's like the glue that keeps everything together. Resin and oil mix together, so it's not like water and sand or oil and vinegar, which separate from each other.

Asphaltene:
Asphaltene is a big, heavy, and complex compound that can be found in some parts of oil. Think of it as a jigsaw puzzle piece, where it has lots of different shapes, sizes, and colors. Asphaltene is made up of lots of different chemicals, which makes it complex. It is also heavy, which means it sinks to the bottom of oil if left alone.

So, if you imagine oil as a bucket of different colored water, then saturates are the clear water, aromatics are the color of the water, resin is the sticky part of the bucket, and asphaltene is a big heavy puzzle piece that sinks to the bottom.