Petrochemical

Petrochemicals are chemical products made from petroleum through refining. They can also come from other fossil fuels like coal or natural gas, as well as from plants such as maize, palm fruit, and sugar cane. These chemicals are important because they are used to make many everyday items.

The most common petrochemicals are olefins, such as ethylene and propylene, and aromatics, such as benzene, toluene, and xylene. Oil refineries and chemical plants produce these by processing petroleum and natural gas liquids. Olefins and aromatics act as building blocks for many materials, including solvents, detergents, adhesives, plastics, resins, fibers, and more.

In 2019, the world produced about 190 million tonnes of ethylene and 120 million tonnes of propylene. The biggest producers are in the United States and Western Europe, but new factories are growing fast in the Middle East and Asia. Petrochemicals are usually made in big industrial areas where many related factories work together to save resources and costs. Examples of these areas include Jubail and Yanbu in Saudi Arabia, Texas and Louisiana in the US, and Teesside in the United Kingdom.

History

Many important discoveries in chemicals came from experiments and accidents. In 1835, a French chemist found a new solid called polyvinyl chloride. In 1909, a scientist named Leo Hendrik Baekeland created bakelite, the first fully synthetic plastic. Later, scientists invented many useful materials like synthetic rubber for tires, nylon for clothing, and Teflon for non-stick pans. These discoveries helped create the modern petrochemical industry.

In 1920, the world's first petrochemical plant was built in West Virginia. Since then, many new plastics and materials have been developed, changing how we live today.

Olefins

Olefins are important petrochemicals, with ethylene being the simplest. Ethylene is used to make many products, including plastics like polyethylene and materials such as ethanol. Another key olefin is propylene, which is used to create items like polypropylene and solvents such as isopropyl alcohol.

Butene and other higher olefins also play a role. They help produce synthetic rubbers and various plastics. These chemicals are the building blocks for many everyday products we use.

Aromatics

The most important aromatic petrochemicals are called BTX fractions, which include benzene, toluene, and mixed xylenes. These are made from naphtha through a process called fractional distillation. Benzene is the simplest aromatic hydrocarbon and can be used to make many other chemicals. For example, ethylbenzene is made from benzene and ethylene, and it can be turned into styrene, which is used to make polystyrenes.

Toluene, another aromatic hydrocarbon, can be used as a solvent or to make other chemicals like toluene diisocyanate. Mixed xylenes, which include ortho-xylene, meta-xylene, and para-xylene, are also important. Para-xylene can be used to make terephthalic acid, which is used to produce polyethylene terephthalate, a type of polyester commonly used in many products.

Main article: BTX