Petrochemical - List of Significant Petrochemicals and Their Derivatives

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 stimulant
  • 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 (or buta-1,3-diene) - a diene often used as a monomer or co-monomer for polymerization to elastomers such as polybutadiene, styrene-butadiene rubber, 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; 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
  • 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
  • meta-xylene
    • isophthalic acid
      • alkyd resins
      • Polyamide Resins
      • Unsaturated Polyesters