Chemical Glossary

Phenol is a major commodity chemical intermediate produced from cumene. Phenol is used to produce phenolic resins for wood binding and bisphenol-A for polycarbonate resins. Other engineering applications include the production of caprolactam and adipic acid, which are nylon intermediates. It can also be used directly in some medical and water treatment applications, e.g. anesthetic, disinfectant, exfoliate in cosmetic surgery, acetyl salicylic acid (aspiron) and slimicide. Phenol production is principally from the reaction of propylene and benzene to cumene, then cumene oxidation; hence phenol is classed as a propylene derivative. A white, crystalline powder at room temperature, phenol has for a long time been produced directly from coal distillation, although the volumes from this source are now small relative to propylene-based production. Phenol production is widespread globally with the exception of the Middle East, although capacity is expected to develop there also.

Polycarbonate is a resilient engineering resin with excellent optical properties. It is commonly made from bisphenol A linked by carbonate groups (O-CO-O) in the Engineering Polymers family. Polycarbonate is an engineering resin that exhibits good strength and high clarity thus used in technical applications such as optical media and automotive applications such as transparent construction sheet, automotive headlamps, CDs and DVDs. Polycarbonates are also compounded with ABS and used in thin walled electronic applications such as mobile phones and laptop computer cases. PC faces some competition from other glass-like polymers such as PMMA and PS resin. It is stronger than PMMA and has a better light transmission characteristics than glasses.

PET bottle grade is a transparent polyethylene terephthalate polymer used mainly for bottling carbonated soft drinks and mineral water. The production of PET bottle grade is by solid state polymerisation (SSP) of PET melt phase, which increases the viscosity of the polymer by vacuum treatment, but involves no other raw materials. Due to the ubiquitous usage of PET bottle grade, plants are located in all regions.

Polymer is the name given to a solid that is constructed by the repeated addition of simple monomer units. The majority of petrochemical value chains end in the production of a useful polymer material, with examples including polyethylene, polystyrene and polyester.

Polypropylene (PP) is the propylene analogue of polyethylene and is also a member of the polyolefin family. PP has a higher chemical and temperature resistance than the polyethylenes. It also has a higher toughness than HDPE and can be used in applications that experience cycling loads. PP's mechanical properties are allowing it to grow into markets that previously specified Engineering Polymers, such as under bonnet applications in the automotive industry. PP goods are commonly marked with a 5 following the recycling codes developed by the American Society of the Plastics Industry. PP is commonly produced using specialized Ziegler-Natta catalysts in slurry reactors.

Polyurethanes are made by the reaction of isocyanates (MDI and TDI) with polyols. Polyurethanes can be in the form of flexible or rigid foams, elastomers, coatings, adhesives and low molecular weight additives. MDI is typically used for rigid foams, whereas TDI is used mostly in flexible foams.

Propane is a member of the LPG (Liquified Petroleum Gases) and paraffin families, consisting of three saturated carbon atoms in a straight chain. The term liquified petroleum gas refers to its main production route as a liquified stream produced by the repressurisation of gas that separated from crude oil on extraction from underground. Propane is highly valued as a heating fuel, particularly in developing economies, and hence has a highly seasonal demand and pricing profile.

Propylene is the second member of the olefin chemical family, consisting of three hydrocarbons in a chain, linked by one double bond and one single bond. The double bond in propylene is less accessible and less reactive than that in ethylene and hence reaction conditions tend to be harsher for a given synthesis reaction. Propylene is also produced (to a lesser extent than ethylene) from the pyrolytic cracking in a steam cracker of a wide variety of hydrocarbons. Significant volumes of propylene are also produced from refinery FCC units.

Propylene oxide is a chemical intermediate mainly used for the production of polyether polyols-which are in turn used in urethane foams, and also in production of propylene glycol, with the remainder consumed in glycol ethers. Propylene oxide is produced from propylene by two routes: mainly chlorohydrin route or to a lesser extent indirect route via hydroperoxidation of isobutane or ethylbenzene producing tertiary butyl alcohol (PO/TBA) or styrene monomer (PO/SM) as co-product respectively. Chlorohydrin route is more energy intensive, produces high by-product yield of little application, and involved chlorine waste disposal. Nevertheless, it remains economically healthy, producing 40 to 50% of PO in the United States. Some propylene oxide is also produced from cumene. Propylene oxide production is widespread outside the Middle East, although projects are now under development in the Middle East.