ABSTRACT

A “petrochemical” (as distinct from a “petroleum product” or “crude oil product”) is any chemical that is manufactured from natural gas and crude oil, which includes the whole range of aliphatic, aromatic, and naphthenic organic chemicals, as well as carbon black and such inorganic materials as sulfur and ammonia.

Thus, for this chapter, petrochemicals are the well-defined chemicals that are manufactured in the petrochemical section of a refinery.