A petrochemical is any chemical derived from fossil fuel. These include purified fossil fuels such as methane, propane, butane, gasoline, kerosene, diesel fuel, aviation fuel, or fuel oil, and also include many agricultural chemicals such as pesticides, herbicides and fertilizers, and other items such as plastics, asphalt and synthetic fibers. Also a wide variety of industrial chemicals are petrochemicals. Saudi Arabia is one of the countries that export basic petrochemicals. The following is a partial list of the major commercial petrochemicals and their derivatives: * ethylene ** polyethylene ** ethylene oxide *** ethylene glycol **** polyester **** antifreeze (coolant) *** glycol ethers *** ethoxylates ** vinyl acetate ** ethylene dichloride *** trichloroethylene *** perchloroethylene *** vinyl chloride **** polyvinyl chloride ** ethyl benzene *** styrene **** polystyrene **** synthetic rubbers ** higher olefins *** detergent alcohols * propylene ** cumene *** acetone *** bisphenol A **** epoxy resins **** polycarbonate *** solvents ** isopropyl alcohol ** acrylonitrile ** polypropylene ** propylene oxide *** propylene glycol *** glycol ethers ** acrylic acid *** acrylic polymers ** allyl chloride *** epichlorhydrin **** epoxy resins * butadiene ** synthetic rubbers * benzene ** ethyl benzene *** styrene **** polystyrenes **** synthetic rubbers ** cumene *** phenol *** bisphenol A **** epoxy resins **** polycarbonate ** cyclohexane *** adipic acid **** nylons *** caprolactam **** nylons ** nitrobenzene *** aniline **** MDI (diphenylmethane diisocyanate) ***** polyurethane ** alkylbenzene *** detergents ** chlorobenzenes * toluene ** benzene ** TDI (2,4-tolylene diisocyanate) *** polyurethane ** benzoic acid *** caprolactam **** nylon * xylene ** orthoxylene *** phthalic anhydride ** paraxylene *** dimethyl terephthalate **** polyester *** purified terephthalic acid **** polyester ==See also== *Petroleum *Petroleum products Petroleum Chemical substances
As one who has worked in the petrochemicals industry for 28 years, I find the current definition rather strange. Admittedly, the compounds named are chemicals, and they are derived from rocks, however I think that there is a distinction to be made between chemicals and fuels. The agricultural chemicals mentioned are either made by relatively small-scale multi-stage organic synthesis (pesticides and herbicides) or are not organic at all (fertilisers - urea, ammonium nitrate, phosphate and potassium. Is ammonia a petrochemical simply because it is made by the reaction of methane-derived hydrogen and nitrogen?). I would therefore suggest the following as a short alternative, which could of course be enlarged (though there are already articles on most of the indivdual chemicals): Petrochemicals are chemical products made from raw materials of petroleum (hydrocarbon) origin. The two main classes of raw materials are olefins (including ethylene and propylene) and aromatics (including benzene and xylene isomers), both of which are produced in very large quantities, mainly by the steam cracking and catalytic reforming of refinery hydrocarbons. From these basic building blocks are made a very wide range of raw materials used in industry - plastics, resins, fibres, solvents, detergents, etc. World production of ethylene is around 110 million tonnes per annum, of propylene 65 million tonnes and of aromatic raw materials 70 million tonnes. The largest petrochemical industries are to be found in the USA and Western Europe, though the major growth in new production capacity is in the Middle East and Asia. There is a substantial inter-regional trade in petrochemicals of all kinds. * When I read the current article the first thing that came to mind was that most pharmaceuticals are petrochemicals (If one goes back far enough in the production chain, most pharmaceuticals begin in an olefins plant.). As do most specialty chemicals and for that matter, some ethanol added to cheaper hard liquor and the CO2 used for carbonated beverages should all be considered petrochemicals. Perhaps some examples like these are worth mentioning? The examples given seem much more industrial User:StateOfTheUnion 18:11, 2 Jun 2005 (UTC)
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Words begining with Petrochemical:
Petrochemical
Petrochemical
Petrochemicals
Petrochemical
A petrochemical is any chemical derived from fossil fuel. These include purified fossil fuels such as methane, propane, butane, gasoline, kerosene, diesel fuel, aviation fuel, or fuel oil, and also include many agricultural chemicals such as pesticides, herbicides and fertilizers, and other items such as plastics, asphalt and synthetic fibers. Also a wide variety of industrial chemicals are petrochemicals. Saudi Arabia is one of the countries that export basic petrochemicals. The following is a partial list of the major commercial petrochemicals and their derivatives: * ethylene ** polyethylene ** ethylene oxide *** ethylene glycol **** polyester **** antifreeze (coolant) *** glycol ethers *** ethoxylates ** vinyl acetate ** ethylene dichloride *** trichloroethylene *** perchloroethylene *** vinyl chloride **** polyvinyl chloride ** ethyl benzene *** styrene **** polystyrene **** synthetic rubbers ** higher olefins *** detergent alcohols * propylene ** cumene *** acetone *** bisphenol A **** epoxy resins **** polycarbonate *** solvents ** isopropyl alcohol ** acrylonitrile ** polypropylene ** propylene oxide *** propylene glycol *** glycol ethers ** acrylic acid *** acrylic polymers ** allyl chloride *** epichlorhydrin **** epoxy resins * butadiene ** synthetic rubbers * benzene ** ethyl benzene *** styrene **** polystyrenes **** synthetic rubbers ** cumene *** phenol *** bisphenol A **** epoxy resins **** polycarbonate ** cyclohexane *** adipic acid **** nylons *** caprolactam **** nylons ** nitrobenzene *** aniline **** MDI (diphenylmethane diisocyanate) ***** polyurethane ** alkylbenzene *** detergents ** chlorobenzenes * toluene ** benzene ** TDI (2,4-tolylene diisocyanate) *** polyurethane ** benzoic acid *** caprolactam **** nylon * xylene ** orthoxylene *** phthalic anhydride ** paraxylene *** dimethyl terephthalate **** polyester *** purified terephthalic acid **** polyester ==See also== *Petroleum *Petroleum products Petroleum Chemical substances
Petrochemical
As one who has worked in the petrochemicals industry for 28 years, I find the current definition rather strange. Admittedly, the compounds named are chemicals, and they are derived from rocks, however I think that there is a distinction to be made between chemicals and fuels. The agricultural chemicals mentioned are either made by relatively small-scale multi-stage organic synthesis (pesticides and herbicides) or are not organic at all (fertilisers - urea, ammonium nitrate, phosphate and potassium. Is ammonia a petrochemical simply because it is made by the reaction of methane-derived hydrogen and nitrogen?). I would therefore suggest the following as a short alternative, which could of course be enlarged (though there are already articles on most of the indivdual chemicals): Petrochemicals are chemical products made from raw materials of petroleum (hydrocarbon) origin. The two main classes of raw materials are olefins (including ethylene and propylene) and aromatics (including benzene and xylene isomers), both of which are produced in very large quantities, mainly by the steam cracking and catalytic reforming of refinery hydrocarbons. From these basic building blocks are made a very wide range of raw materials used in industry - plastics, resins, fibres, solvents, detergents, etc. World production of ethylene is around 110 million tonnes per annum, of propylene 65 million tonnes and of aromatic raw materials 70 million tonnes. The largest petrochemical industries are to be found in the USA and Western Europe, though the major growth in new production capacity is in the Middle East and Asia. There is a substantial inter-regional trade in petrochemicals of all kinds. * When I read the current article the first thing that came to mind was that most pharmaceuticals are petrochemicals (If one goes back far enough in the production chain, most pharmaceuticals begin in an olefins plant.). As do most specialty chemicals and for that matter, some ethanol added to cheaper hard liquor and the CO2 used for carbonated beverages should all be considered petrochemicals. Perhaps some examples like these are worth mentioning? The examples given seem much more industrial User:StateOfTheUnion 18:11, 2 Jun 2005 (UTC)
See other meanings of words starting from letter:
P
PA | PB | PC | PD | PE | PF | PG | PH | PI | PJ | PK | PL | PM | PN | PO | PR | PS | PT | PU | PW | PX | PY | PZ |Words begining with Petrochemical:
Petrochemical
Petrochemical
Petrochemicals
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