Propenederived

Propenederived is an adjective used in chemistry and industry to describe compounds, materials, or intermediates that are manufactured from propene (propylene), a three-carbon olefin that serves as a major petrochemical feedstock. The label encompasses a broad range of products formed by functionalizing, oxidizing, reducing, or polymerizing propene, including polymers, small molecules, and specialty chemicals.

Propene is produced in large volumes from petroleum feedstocks and is converted into diverse products through processes such as polymerization, epoxidation, ammoxidation, hydroformylation, and hydration. This makes many widely used materials “propenederived.” The term is often applied in industrial contexts to group products by their shared origin from propene rather than by their functional class alone.

Key examples of propenederived products include:

- Polypropylene, a widely used plastic polymer.

- Propylene oxide, an important epoxide for making polyether polyols and epoxy resins.

- Acrylonitrile, produced by ammoxidation of propene and used in acrylic fibers and resins.

- Isopropylbenzene (cumene), formed by alkylation of benzene with propene, and its downstream products phenol and acetone.

- Isopropanol (propan-2-ol), obtained by hydration of propene.

- Butanal and related aldehydes produced by hydroformylation of propene, used as chemical intermediates.

The concept helps categorize materials by the propene-derived origin of their carbon framework, highlighting connections within the petrochemical and plastics industries. See also propene, polypropylene, propylene oxide, acrylonitrile, and cumene.