ABSTRACT
By way of recall, a petrochemical is any chemical (as distinct from the bulk product which are used for fuels and other petroleum products) manufactured from petroleum (and natural gas) and used for a variety of commercial purposes. Petroleum and natural gas are made up of hydrocarbon constituents, which are comprised of one or more carbon atoms, to which hydrogen atoms are attached. Currently, through a variety of intermediates petroleum and natural gas are the main sources of the raw materials because they are the least expensive, most readily available, and can be processed most easily into the primary petrochemicals. An aromatic petrochemical is also an organic chemical compound but one that contains, or is derived from, the basic benzene ring system. However, the definition of petrochemicals has been broadened and includes (with justification) not only the whole range of aliphatic, aromatic, and naphthenic organic chemicals but also nonorganic chemicals such as carbon black, sulfur, ammonia, nitric acid, hydrazine, and synthesis gas.
