Use of Residues In The Petrochemical Industry

Use of Residues in the Petrochemical Industry Various product materials produced from petrochemical products today are widely found. Petrochemicals are materials or products produced from oil and natural gas. These petrochemical materials can be classified into plastics, synthetic fibers, synthetic rubber, pesticides, detergents, solvents, fertilizers, various types of drugs and vitamins. 1. Petrochemical Basic Materials There are three basic materials used in the petrochemical industry, namely olefins, aromatics, and synthetic gas (syn-gas). To obtain petrochemical products, three stages are carried out, namely: a. Converting oil and natural gas into petrochemical base materials. b. Converting basic materials into intermediate products. c. Turning intermediate products into final products. a) Olefins (alkenes) Olefins are the most important petrochemical base material. Production of olefins worldwide reaches billions of kg per year. Among the most produced olefins are ethylene (ethene), propylene (propene),and butadiene. Some petrochemical products that use ethylene as base material are: 1) Polyethylene, is the most widely produced plastic, this plastic is widely used as plastic bags and plastic wrap (covers). In addition to polyethylene as a basic material, this polyethylene plastic also contains several additional materials, namely fillers, plasticers, and dyes. 2) PVC or polyvinylchloride, is also a plastic used in the manufacture of PVC pipes and floor coatings. 3) Ethanol, is an ingredient that is known as alcohol in everyday life. Used as a fuel or intermediate for the manufacture of other products, for example, for the manufacture of acetic acid. 4) Ethylene glycol or glycol, used as an antifreeze agent in car radiators in cold climates. Several petrochemical products that use propylene as the basic ingredient are:  Polypropylene, used as plastic sacks and plastic ropes. This material is stronger than polyethylene.  Glycerol, used as cosmetic ingredients (moisturizers), food industry, and materials for making explosives (nitroglycerin).  Isopropyl alcohol, used as ingredients for other petrochemical products, for example to make acetone. Several petrochemical products that use butadiene as basic ingredients are: Synthetic rubber and Nylon. b) Aromatics In the petrochemical industry, the most important aromatics are benzene, toluene and xylene. Several petrochemical products that use benzene as the basic ingredient are:  Styrene, used to make synthetic rubber.  Kumena, used to make phenol.  Cyclohexane, used to make nylon. Some petrochemical products that use toluene and xylene as basic ingredients are: 1) Explosives, namely trinitrotoluene (TNT) 2) Terephthalic acid, is the basic material for making fiber. c) Syn-Gas (Synthetic Gas) This synthetic gas is a mixture of carbon monoxide (CO) and hydrogen (H2 ). Several petrochemical products that use synthetic gas as basic ingredients are: 1) Ammonia (NH3 ), which is made from nitrogen gas and hydrogen gas. In the petrochemical industry, nitrogen gas is obtained from air, while hydrogen gas is obtained from synthetic gas. 2) Urea (CO(NH2 )2 ), made from ammonia and carbon dioxide gas. Aside from being a fertilizer, urea is also used in the adhesive, plastic, and resin industries. 3) Methanol (CH3 OH), made from synthetic gas by heating at high temperature and pressure with the help of a catalyst. Part of the methanol is used in the manufacture of formaldehyde, and part is used to make fibers and fuel blends. 4) Formaldehyde (HCHO), made from methanol through oxidation with the help of a catalyst. Formaldehyde dissolved in water is known as formalin, which functions as a preservative for biological specimens . While other uses are to make urea-formaldehyde resins and glues. Exercise 1. 1. What is petrochemical? Name an example! 2. Name the basic materials in the petrochemical industry! 3. Mention examples of olefins that are most widely produced! 4. Name some petrochemical products that use ethylene as a base! 5. Mention some petrochemical products that use propylene as the basis! 6. Mention some petrochemical products that use butadiene as the basic ingredient! 7. Mention some petrochemical products that use benzene as the basic ingredient! 8. Mention some petrochemical products that use toluene and as basic ingredients xylene! 9. What do you know about syn-gas? 10. Mention some petrochemical products that use synthetic gas as basic ingredients!