Petrochemicals are chemical products A product is a substance that forms as a result of a biological- or chemical reaction. While the end product of some chemical reactions may be the result of a relatively rapid reaction, nanoseconds to seconds, chemical equilibria in complex systems may require years or even centuries to be established. For example, equilibria in groundwater derived from petroleum Petroleum or crude oil is a naturally occurring, toxic, flammable liquid consisting of a complex mixture of hydrocarbons of various molecular weights, and other organic compounds, that are found in geologic formations beneath the Earth's surface. Petroleum is recovered mostly through oil drilling. It is refined and separated, most easily by.^[1] Some chemical compounds A chemical compound is a pure chemical substance consisting of two or more different chemical elements that can be separated into simpler substances by chemical reactions. Chemical compounds have a unique and defined chemical structure; they consist of a fixed ratio of atoms that are held together in a defined spatial arrangement by chemical bonds made from petroleum are also obtained from other fossil fuels Fossil fuels are fuels formed by natural resources such as anaerobic decomposition of buried dead organisms. The age of the organisms and their resulting fossil fuels is typically millions of years, but exceeds 2 billion years. These fuels contain a high percentage of carbon and hydrocarbons such as coal Coal is a readily combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock normally occurring in rock strata in layers or veins called coal beds. The harder forms, such as anthracite coal, can be regarded as metamorphic rock because of later exposure to elevated temperature and pressure. Coal is composed primarily of carbon along with variable or natural gas Natural gas is a gas consisting primarily of methane. It is found associated with other fossil fuels, in coal beds, as methane clathrates, and is created by methanogenic organisms in marshes, bogs, and landfills. It is an important fuel source, a major feedstock for fertilizers, and a potent greenhouse gas, or renewable sources such as corn Maize is a grass domesticated by indigenous peoples in Mesoamerica in prehistoric times. The Aztecs and Mayans cultivated it in numerous varieties throughout central and southern Mexico, to cook or grind in a process called nixtamalization. Later the crop spread through much of the Americas. Between 1250 A.D. and 1700 A.D. nearly the whole or sugar cane Sugarcane is any of six to thirty-seven species of tall perennial grasses of the genus Saccharum (family Poaceae, tribe Andropogoneae). Native to warm temperate to tropical regions of Asia, they have stout, jointed, fibrous stalks that are rich in sugar, and measure two to six meters (six to nineteen feet) tall. All sugar cane species interbreed,.

This article focuses on organic compounds An organic compound is any member of a large class of chemical compounds whose molecules contain carbon. For historical reasons discussed below, a few types of compounds such as carbonates, simple oxides of carbon and cyanides, as well as the allotropes of carbon, are considered inorganic. The distinction between "organic" and " that are not burned as fuel Fuel is any material that can be used to generate energy to produce mechanical work in a controlled manner. The processes used to convert fuel into energy include chemical reactions, such as combustion, and nuclear reactions, such as nuclear fission or nuclear fusion. Fuels are also used in the cells of organisms in a process known as metabolism (see also Petroleum product According to crude oil composition and demand, refineries can produce different shares of petroleum products. Largest share of oil products is used as energy carriers: various grades of fuel oil and gasoline. Refineries also produce other chemicals, some of which are used in chemical processes to produce plastics and other useful materials. Since).

Two petrochemical classes are olefins In organic chemistry, an alkene, olefin, or olefine is an unsaturated chemical compound containing at least one carbon-to-carbon double bond. The simplest acyclic alkenes, with only one double bond and no other functional groups, form an homologous series of hydrocarbons with the general formula CnH2n including ethylene Ethylene is a gaseous organic compound with the formula C2H4. It is the simplest alkene (older name: olefin from its oil-forming property). Because it contains a carbon-carbon double bond, ethylene is classified as an unsaturated hydrocarbon. Ethylene is widely used in industry and also has a role in biology as a hormone. Ethylene is the most and propylene Propene, also known as propylene, is an unsaturated organic compound having the chemical formula C3H6. It has one double bond, and is the second simplest member of the alkene class of hydrocarbons, and it is also second in natural abundance, and aromatics In organic chemistry, the structures of some rings of atoms are unexpectedly stable. Aromaticity is a chemical property in which a conjugated ring of unsaturated bonds, lone pairs, or empty orbitals exhibit a stabilization stronger than would be expected by the stabilization of conjugation alone. It can also be considered a manifestation of cyclic including benzene Benzene is an organic chemical compound with the molecular formula C6H6. It is sometimes abbreviated Ph–H. Benzene is a colorless and highly flammable liquid with a sweet smell and a relatively high melting point. Because it is a known carcinogen, its use as an additive in gasoline is now limited, but it is an important industrial solvent and, toluene Toluene, formerly known as toluol, is a clear, water-insoluble liquid with the typical smell of paint thinners. Chemically it is a mono-substituted benzene derivative, i.e. one in which a single hydrogen atom from the benzene molecule has been replaced by a univalent group, in this case CH3 and xylene The term xylene or xylol refers to a mixture of three aromatic hydrocarbon isomers closely related to benzene. Xylene is a clear, colorless, sweet-smelling liquid that is very flammable. It is usually refined from crude oil in a process called alkylation. It is also produced as a by-product from coal carbonisation derived from coke ovens, isomers In chemistry, isomers are compounds with the same molecular formula but different structural formulas. The word is derived from the Greek ισομερης, isomerès; isos = "equal", méros = "part". There are many different classes of isomers, like stereoisomers, enantiomers, geometrical isomers, et cetera . Isomers do not. Oil refineries An oil refinery or petroleum refinery is an industrial process plant where crude oil is processed and refined into more useful petroleum products, such as gasoline, diesel fuel, asphalt base, heating oil, kerosene, and liquefied petroleum gas. Oil refineries are typically large sprawling industrial complexes with extensive piping running produce olefins and aromatics by fluid catalytic cracking Fluid catalytic cracking is the most important conversion process used in petroleum refineries. It is widely used to convert the high-boiling, high-molecular weight hydrocarbon fractions of petroleum crude oils to more valuable gasoline, olefinic gases and other products. Cracking of petroleum hydrocarbons was originally done by thermal cracking of petroleum fractions. Chemical plants A chemical plant is an industrial process plant that manufactures chemicals, usually on a large scale. The general objective of a chemical plant is to create new material wealth via the chemical or biological transformation and or separation of materials. Chemical plants use special equipment, units, and technology in the processes. Other kinds of produce olefins by steam cracking In petroleum geology and chemistry, cracking is the process whereby complex organic molecules such as kerogens or heavy hydrocarbons are broken down into simpler molecules by the breaking of carbon-carbon bonds in the precursors. The rate of cracking and the end products are strongly dependent on the temperature and presence of any catalysts of natural gas liquids Natural gas processing plants, or fractionators, are used to purify the raw natural gas produced from underground gas fields or extracted at the surface from the fluids produced from oil wells. A fully operational plant will deliver pipeline-quality natural gas that can be used as fuel by residential, commercial and industrial consumers like ethane Ethane is a chemical compound with chemical formula C2H6. It is the only two-carbon alkane that is an aliphatic hydrocarbon. At standard temperature and pressure, ethane is a colorless, odorless gas and propane Propane is a three-carbon alkane, normally a gas, but compressible to a transportable liquid. It is derived from other petroleum products during oil or natural gas processing. It is commonly used as a fuel for engines, oxy-gas torches, barbecues, portable stoves and residential central heating. Aromatics In organic chemistry, the structures of some rings of atoms are unexpectedly stable. Aromaticity is a chemical property in which a conjugated ring of unsaturated bonds, lone pairs, or empty orbitals exhibit a stabilization stronger than would be expected by the stabilization of conjugation alone. It can also be considered a manifestation of cyclic are produced by catalytic reforming Catalytic reforming is a chemical process used to convert petroleum refinery naphthas, typically having low octane ratings, into high-octane liquid products called reformates which are components of high-octane gasoline . Basically, the process re-arranges or re-structures the hydrocarbon molecules in the naphtha feedstocks as well as breaking of naphtha Naphtha normally refers to a number of different flammable liquid mixtures of hydrocarbons, i.e. a distillation product from petroleum or coal tar boiling in a certain range and containing certain hydrocarbons. It is a broad term covering the lightest and most volatile fraction of the liquid hydrocarbons in petroleum. Olefins and aromatics are the building blocks for a wide range of materials such as solvents A solvent is a liquid, solid, or gas that dissolves another solid, liquid, or gaseous solute, resulting in a solution that is soluble in a certain volume of solvent at a specified temperature. Common uses for organic solvents are in dry cleaning (e.g. tetrachloroethylene), as a paint thinner (e.g. toluene, turpentine), as nail polish removers and, detergents A detergent is a material used for cleaning. The term is sometimes used to differentiate between soap and other surfactants used for cleaning, and adhesives An adhesive, or glue, is a mixture in a liquid or semi-liquid state that adheres or bonds items together. Adhesives may come from either natural or synthetic sources. The types of materials that can be bonded are vast but they are especially useful for bonding thin materials. Adhesives cure by either evaporating a solvent or by chemical reactions. Olefins are the basis for polymers A polymer is a large molecule composed of repeating structural units typically connected by covalent chemical bonds. While polymer in popular usage suggests plastic, the term actually refers to a large class of natural and synthetic materials with a wide variety of properties and oligomers In chemistry, an oligomer consists of a few monomer units , in contrast to a polymer that, at least in principle, consists of an unlimited number of monomers. Dimers, trimers and tetramers are oligomers. Many oils are oligomeric, such as liquid paraffin. Plasticizers are oligomeric esters widely used to soften thermoplastics such as PVC. They may used in plastics A plastic material is any of a wide range of synthetic or semi-synthetic organic amorphous solids[citation needed] used in the manufacture of industrial products. Plastics are typically polymers of high molecular mass, and may contain other substances to improve performance and/or reduce costs. Monomers of plastic are either natural or synthetic, resins Resin is a hydrocarbon secretion of many plants, particularly coniferous trees. It is valued for its chemical properties and associated uses, such as the production of varnishes, adhesives, and food glazing agents; as an important source of raw materials for organic synthesis; and as constituents of incense and perfume. In perfumery such products, fibers Fiber, also spelled fibre, is a class of materials that are continuous filaments or are in discrete elongated pieces, similar to lengths of thread. They are very important in the biology of both plants and animals, for holding tissues together. Human uses for fibers are diverse. They can be spun into filaments, string or rope, used as a component, elastomers An elastomer is a polymer with the property of viscoelasticity , generally having notably low Young's modulus and high yield strain compared with other materials. The term, which is derived from elastic polymer, is often used interchangeably with the term rubber, although the latter is preferred when referring to vulcanisates. Each of the monomers, lubricants, and gels A gel is a solid, jelly-like material that can have properties ranging from soft and weak to hard and tough. Gels are defined as a substantially dilute crosslinked system, which exhibits no flow when in the steady-state. By weight, gels are mostly liquid, yet they behave like solids due to a three-dimensional crosslinked network within the liquid.

Global ethylene and propylene production are ~110 million tonnes and ~65 million tonnes per annum respectively. Aromatics production is ~70 million tonnes. The largest petrochemical industries are located in the USA ^ b. English is the de facto language of American government and the sole language spoken at home by 80% of Americans age five and older. Spanish is the second most commonly spoken language and Western Europe Western Europe is a loose term for the collection of countries in the westernmost region of Europe, though this definition is context-dependent and carries cultural and political connotations. One definition describes Western Europe as a cultural entity—the region lying west of Central Europe. Another definition was created during the Cold War; however, major growth in new production capacity is in the Middle East The Middle East is a region that encompasses southwestern Asia and Egypt. In some contexts, the term has recently been expanded in usage to sometimes include Afghanistan and Pakistan, the Caucasus and Central Asia, and North Africa. It's often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East. The corresponding adjective is Middle-Eastern and Asia Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.6% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 4 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population. During the 20th century Asia's population nearly quadrupled. There is substantial inter-regional petrochemical trade.

Primary petrochemicals are divided into three groups depending on their chemical structure A chemical structure includes molecular geometry, electronic structure and crystal structure of a chemical compound. Molecular geometry refers to the spatial arrangement of atoms in a molecule and the chemical bonds that hold the atoms together. Molecular geometry can range from the very simple, such as diatomic oxygen or nitrogen molecules, to:^[1]

• Olefins includes ethylene Ethylene is a gaseous organic compound with the formula C2H4. It is the simplest alkene (older name: olefin from its oil-forming property). Because it contains a carbon-carbon double bond, ethylene is classified as an unsaturated hydrocarbon. Ethylene is widely used in industry and also has a role in biology as a hormone. Ethylene is the most, propylene Propene, also known as propylene, is an unsaturated organic compound having the chemical formula C3H6. It has one double bond, and is the second simplest member of the alkene class of hydrocarbons, and it is also second in natural abundance, and butadiene 1,3-Butadiene is a simple conjugated diene with the formula C4H6. It is an important industrial chemical used as a monomer in the production of synthetic rubber. When the word butadiene is used, most of the time it refers to 1,3-butadiene. Ethylene Ethylene is a gaseous organic compound with the formula C2H4. It is the simplest alkene (older name: olefin from its oil-forming property). Because it contains a carbon-carbon double bond, ethylene is classified as an unsaturated hydrocarbon. Ethylene is widely used in industry and also has a role in biology as a hormone. Ethylene is the most and propylene Propene, also known as propylene, is an unsaturated organic compound having the chemical formula C3H6. It has one double bond, and is the second simplest member of the alkene class of hydrocarbons, and it is also second in natural abundance are important sources of industrial chemicals The chemical industry comprises the companies that produce industrial chemicals. It is central to modern world economy, converting raw materials into more than 70,000 different products and plastics products. Butadiene is used in making synthetic rubber.
• Aromatics includes benzene, toluene, and xylenes. Benzene is a raw material for dyes and synthetic detergents, and benzene and toluene for isocyanates MDI and TDI used in making polyurethanes. Manufacturers use xylenes are used to produce plastics and synthetic fibers.
• Synthesis gas is a mixture of carbon monoxide and hydrogen used to make ammonia and methanol. Ammonia is used to make the fertilizer urea and methanol is used as a solvent and chemical intermediate.

List of significant petrochemicals and their derivatives

The following is a partial list of the major commercial petrochemicals and their derivatives:

• ethylene - the simplest olefin; used as a chemical feedstock and ripening hormone
  • polyethylene - polymerized ethylene
  • ethanol - via ethylene hydration (chemical reaction adding water) of ethylene
  • ethylene oxide - via ethylene oxidation
    • ethylene glycol - via ethylene oxide hydration
      • engine coolant - ethylene glycol, water and inhibitor mixture
      • polyesters - any of several polymers with ester linkages in the backbone chain
    • glycol ethers - via glycol condensation
    • ethoxylates
  • vinyl acetate
  • 1,2-dichloroethane
    • trichloroethylene
    • tetrachloroethylene - also called perchloroethylene; used as a dry cleaning solvent and degreaser
    • vinyl chloride - monomer for polyvinyl chloride
      • polyvinyl chloride (PVC) - type of plastic used for piping, tubing, other things
• propylene - used as a monomer and a chemical feedstock
  • isopropyl alcohol - 2-propanol; often used as a solvent or rubbing alcohol
  • acrylonitrile - useful as a monomer in forming Orlon, ABS
  • polypropylene - polymerized propylene
  • propylene oxide
    • polyol - used in the production of polyurethanes
    • propylene glycol - used in engine coolant and aircraft deicer fluid
    • glycol ethers - from condensation of glycols
  • acrylic acid
    • acrylic polymers
  • allyl chloride -
    • epichlorohydrin - chloro-oxirane; used in epoxy resin formation
      • epoxy resins - a type of polymerizing glue from bisphenol A, epichlorohydrin, and some amine
• C4 hydrocarbons - a mixture consisting of butanes, butylenes and butadienes
  • isomers of butylene - useful as monomers or co-monomers
    • isobutylene - feed for making methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE) or monomer for copolymerization with a low percentage of isoprene to make butyl rubber
  • 1,3-butadiene - a diene often used as a monomer or co-monomer for polymerization to elastomers such as polybutadiene or a plastic such as acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS)
    • synthetic rubbers - synthetic elastomers made of any one or more of several petrochemical (usually) monomers such as 1,3-butadiene, styrene, isobutylene, isoprene, chloroprene; elastomeric polymers are often made with a high percentage of conjugated diene monomers such as 1,3-butadiene, isoprene, or chloroprene
• higher olefins
  • polyolefins such poly-alpha-olefins which are used as lubricants
  • alpha-olefins - used as monomers, co-monomers, and other chemical precursors. For example, a small amount of 1-hexene can be copolymerized with ethylene into a more flexible form of polyethylene.
  • other higher olefins
  • detergent alcohols
• benzene - the simplest aromatic hydrocarbon
  • ethylbenzene - made from benzene and ethylene
    • styrene made by dehydrogenation of ethylbenzene; used as a monomer
      • polystyrenes - polymers with styrene as a monomer
  • cumene - isopropylbenzene; a feedstock in the cumene process
    • phenol - hydroxybenzene; of dassdcten made by the cumene process
    • acetone - dimethyl ketone; also often made by the cumene process
    • bisphenol A - a type of "double" phenol used in polymerization in epoxy resins and making a common type of polycarbonate
      • epoxy resins - a type of polymerizing glue from bisphenol A, epichlorohydrin, and some amine
      • polycarbonate - a plastic polymer made from bisphenol A and phosgene (carbonyl dichloride)
    • solvents - liquids used for dissolving materials; examples often made from petrochemicals include ethanol, isopropyl alcohol, acetone, benzene, toluene, xylenes
  • cyclohexane - a 6-carbon aliphatic cyclic hydrocarbon sometimes used as a non-polar solvent
    • adipic acid - a 6-carbon dicarboxylic acid which can be a precursor used as a co-monomer together with a diamine to form an alternating copolymer form of nylon.
      • nylons - types of polyamides, some are alternating copolymers formed from copolymerizing dicarboxylic acid or derivatives with diamines
    • caprolactam - a 6-carbon cyclic amide
      • nylons - types of polyamides, some are from polymerizing caprolactam
  • nitrobenzene - can be made by single nitration of benzene
    • aniline - aminobenzene
      • methylene diphenyl diisocyanate (MDI) - used as a co-monomer with diols or polyols to form polyurethanes or with di- or polyamines to form polyureas
        • polyurethanes
  • alkylbenzene - a general type of aromatic hydrocarbon which can be used as a presursor for a sulfonate surfactant (detergent)
    • detergents - often include surfactants types such as alkylbenzenesulfonates and nonylphenol ethoxylates
  • chlorobenzene
• toluene - methylbenzene; can be a solvent or precursor for other chemicals
  • benzene
  • toluene diisocyanate (TDI) - used as co-monomers with diols or polyols to form polyurethanes or with di- or polyamines to form polyureas
    • polyurethanes - a polymer formed from diisocyanates and diols or polyols
  • benzoic acid - carboxybenzene
    • caprolactam
      • nylon
• mixed xylenes - any of three dimethylbenzene isomers, could be a solvent but more often precursor chemicals
  • ortho-xylene - both methyl groups can be oxidized to form (ortho-)phthalic acid
    • phthalic anhydride
  • para-xylene - both methyl groups can be oxidized to form terephthalic acid
    • dimethyl terephthalate - can be copolymerized to form certain polyesters
      • polyesters - although there can be many types, polyethylene terephthalate is made from petrochemical products and is very widely used.
    • purified terephthalic acid - often copolymerized to form polyethylene terephthalate
      • polyesters

Petrochemicals products

See also

• Petroleum
• Petroleum products
• Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries

Notes

1. ^ ^{a b} (Matar p. xiii)

References

• Matar, Sami; Hatch, Lewis Frederic (2001). Chemistry of petrochemical processes (2 ed.). Gulf Professional Publishing. ISBN 0884153150. http://books.google.com/?id=PR6pujxc68kC.

External links

• Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries

Categories: Petroleum products | Chemical engineering

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