Complex chemical

Complex chemical composition of the oil makes it rich in raw materials for the manufacture of objects that surround us in everyday life. Oil is needed for the production of plastics, rubber, solvents, detergents, fertilizers, medicines, cosmetics and even food. However, before you make all these we need every day products, from oil to synthesize materials for industrial production. Are engaged at a petrochemical plant.

Most important for the chemical industry are alkane, olefin and aromatic hydrocarbons. They can be called the primary source of hydrocarbons.

Alkanes (methane, ethane, propane and butane), and olefins (ethylene, propylene, butylene) is produced by cracking of petroleum products. Alkanes are then converted to paraffins by pyrolysis.

Recycling methane, from which, by the way, 90% is natural gas produced methanol (methyl alcohol), ammonia and methyl chloride. Made from ammonia, in particular, fertilizer (ammonium nitrate and ammonium sulphate), urea, and hydrazine, which can be used as rocket fuel. Methanol - is antifreeze and also the raw material for formaldehyde, used in the manufacture of synthetic resins and plastics, for the synthesis of many drugs and dyes for leather tanning, and as a disinfectant, antiseptic and deodorant.

Ethylene - the most "popular" of the primary source of hydrocarbons. From it are ethylene oxide, ethyl alcohol, ethyl chloride, ethylene dichloride, and familiar to every polyethylene used to make many types of plastics. In addition, ethylene and propylene processed into ethylene-propylene rubber, has a high resistance to abrasion. From such a high-impact plastic make rubber, bicycle tires, insulation for wire and cable, and other things which are important for durability. Ethyl alcohol - not only solvent, but also raw materials for the production of acetic acid and acetic anhydride, necessary for the production of cellulose acetate fibers and cellophane. Interestingly, the ethylene alone can be used in agriculture - it accelerates ripening and ripe fruit does not fall from the branches.

Dichloroethane is used to produce vinyl chloride, which makes PVC polymerization. Soft plastics made from this material, are all around us in the form of linoleum and floor tiles, walls and upholstery, artificial leather. Another of dichloroethane are vinylidene (1,1-dichloroethylene) - the underlying source material is mainly used for food packaging, upholstery materials for the manufacture of fibers, hair and latex coatings and for the manufacture of tubes for chemical equipment.

Propylene is needed primarily for isopropyl alcohol. Most of the alcohol is oxidized to acetone, which is synthesized from a variety of chemicals, as well as, for example, Plexiglas. From propylene and benzene make cumene, which provides both the oxidation of phenol and acetone. More from propylene obtained allyl chloride - intermediate for the synthesis of glycerol.

Butylene made from butadiene for synthetic rubber and butyl alcohols - solvents and raw materials.
Aromatic hydrocarbons (benzene, toluene and xylene) are derived from naphtha oil by catalytic reforming and pyrolysis of oil remaining in the production of ethylene and propylene.

Benzene is needed for the production of styrene, from which by polymerization make polystyrene plastic, phenol, which is the raw material for another kind of plastic, and aniline - it is made dyes, vulcanization accelerators, polyurethanes, pesticides and even medicines. More benzene is used to increase the octane number in motor fuel and as a solvent and extractant in the manufacture of varnishes, paints, detergents.

Toluene is used in the manufacture of the explosive TNT, saccharin and other products.

Xylene, which has three isomers - o-xylene, m-xylene and p-xylene, is needed for the production of polymeric coatings, Dacron fibers, Mylar film and a few types of plastics and plasticizers.

This list of substances produced from petroleum, is not complete, but it gives an idea of ​​how diverse the world of petrochemicals. You can not hesitate to say that these products are largely determine the shape of the modern world.

         Interesting Facts

Well-known words of Mendeleev, foresaw a huge role of oil as a raw material for the chemical industry, "burn oil - is like lighting the stove in notes."

Complete cycle of petrochemical production includes at least seven production stages. Sometimes the cost of production can Downstream 100 times the cost of the feedstock.

Using oil as a raw material for the chemical industry began in the 1920s. By the end of the century more than a third of the output of the chemical industry make from petroleum products.

The raw material for the chemical industry oil and gas replaced coal, grain, molasses and wood.