petrochemical

Petrochemicals are a broad family of chemical products derived from fossil fuels, primarily petroleum and natural gas. They are produced from feedstocks such as naphtha, gas oil, ethane, propane, and other natural gas liquids. The term covers basic chemicals, intermediates, and a wide range of downstream products used across industries.

The most common production route is steam cracking of hydrocarbon feedstocks to produce light olefins, notably ethylene and propylene, which serve as universal building blocks for plastics, synthetic fibers, and chemicals. Other processes include catalytic reforming, alkylation, hydrocracking, and gasification to generate synthesis gas for ammonia or methanol.

Key petrochemicals include ethylene, propylene, benzene, toluene, xylene, methanol, ammonia, and urea. These feed into plastics such as polyethylene, polypropylene, and polyvinyl chloride; synthetic fibers; solvents; paints and coatings; detergents; and fertilizers.

The petrochemical industry is a large, energy-intensive sector frequently integrated with refining and other petrochemical plants. It relies on fossil fuel feedstocks and is sensitive to commodity prices and supply disruptions. Environmental concerns focus on emissions, plastic waste, and evolving moves toward recycling and sustainable or bio-based feedstocks.