Petrochemical
Petrochemicals (sometimes abbreviated as petchems
The two most common petrochemical classes are
Global ethylene production was 190 million tonnes and propylene was 120 million tonnes in 2019.
Primary petrochemicals are divided into three groups depending on their chemical structure:
- plastics products. Butadiene is used in making synthetic rubber.
- polyurethanes. Manufacturers use xylenesto produce plastics and synthetic fibers.
- chemicalintermediate.
- natural gas processing plants.
- Methanol and formaldehyde.
In 2007, the amounts of ethylene and propylene produced in steam crackers were about 115 Mt (megatonnes) and 70 Mt, respectively.[5] The output ethylene capacity of large steam crackers ranged up to as much as 1.0 – 1.5 Mt per year.[6]
The adjacent diagram schematically depicts the major hydrocarbon sources and processes used in producing petrochemicals.[2][3][7][8]
Like
Petrochemicals are predominantly made in a few manufacturing locations around the world, for example in
The large-scale petrochemical manufacturing locations have clusters of manufacturing units that share utilities and large-scale infrastructures such as power stations, storage tanks, port facilities, road and rail terminals. In the United Kingdom, for example, there are four main locations for such manufacturing: near the River Mersey in North West England, on the Humber on the East coast of Yorkshire, in Grangemouth near the Firth of Forth in Scotland, and in Teesside as part of the
History
In 1835,
Olefins
The following is a partial list of major commercial petrochemicals and their derivatives:
- ethylene – the simplest olefin; used as a chemical feedstock and ripening stimulant
- polyethylene – polymerized ethylene; LDPE, HDPE, LLDPE
- ethanol – via ethylene hydration (chemical reaction adding water) of 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 main chain
- glycol ethers– via glycol condescension
- ethoxylates
- ethylene glycol – via ethylene oxide hydration
- vinyl acetate[10]
- 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) – a 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
- Orlon, ABS
- polypropylene – polymerized propylene
- propylene oxide[11]
- polyether polyol – used in the production of polyurethanes
- propylene glycol – used in engine coolant [12] and aircraft deicer fluid
- glycol ethers– from the 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
- epichlorohydrin – chloro-oxirane; used in epoxy resin formation
- butene
- 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
- 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
- 1-hexenecan be copolymerized with ethylene into a more flexible form of polyethylene.
- other higher olefins
- detergent alcohols
Aromatics
- 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
- styrene – made by dehydrogenation of ethylbenzene; used as a monomer
- cumene – isopropylbenzene; a feedstock in the cumene process
- phenol – hydroxybenzene; often 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
- 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.
- nitrobenzene – can be made by single nitration of benzene
- aniline – aminobenzene
- aniline – aminobenzene
- alkylbenzene – a general type of aromatic hydrocarbon, which can be used as a precursor for a sulfonate surfactant (detergent)
- detergents – often include surfactants types such as alkylbenzene sulfonates and nonylphenol ethoxylates
- chlorobenzene
- ethylbenzene – made from benzene and ethylene
- toluene – methylbenzene; can be a solvent or precursor for other chemicals
- benzene
- toluene diisocyanate (TDI) – used as co-monomers with polyether polyols to form polyurethanes or with di- or polyamines to form polyureas polyurethanes
- benzoic acid – carboxybenzene
- 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
- 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 in petrol stations
- purified terephthalic acid – often copolymerized to form polyethylene terephthalate
- dimethyl terephthalate – can be copolymerized to form certain polyesters
- meta-xylene
List of petrochemicals
Petrochemicals | Fibers | Petroleum | Chemicals |
---|---|---|---|
Basic Feedstock Benzene Butadiene Ethylene p-Xylene Propylene Intermediates Vinyl chloride monomer (VCM)
|
butadiene (SBR)Acrylic-formaldehude (AF) |
Petroleum refining
|
See also
- Petroleum
- Petroleum products
- Instrumentation in petrochemical industries
- Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries
- Asia Petrochemical Industry Conference (APIC)
- Northeast of England Process Industry Cluster(NEPIC)
References
- ^ Kiesche, Liz, "Royal Dutch Shell may take 50% stake in $9B Indian petchem project", Reuters via Seeking Alpha, August 12, 2020. Retrieved 2020-08-12.
- ^ ISBN 0-88415-315-0.
- ^ ISSN 0887-0284.
- ^ "Ethylene production capacity globally 2024".
- ISBN 978-0-444-53292-3.
- ^ Steam Cracking: Ethylene Production (PDF page 3 of 12 pages)
- ^ SBS Polymer Supply Outlook
- ISBN 2-7108-0801-3.
- ^ "Timeline – Petrochemicals Europe". www.petrochemistry.eu. Retrieved 2018-04-07.
- ISSN 0021-9517.
- S2CID 103189174.
- ^ HU patent 209546B, Forstner, Janos; Gal, Lajos & Feher, Pal et al., "Anti-freeze solution for internal combustion engines", published 1994-07-28