Petrochemicals

This article does not receive scheduled updates. If you would like to help our coverage grow, consider donating to Ballotpedia. Contact our team to suggest an update.

on Energy

Fiscal policy Budgets Budget and finances by state Tax policy by state State Budget Terms State government tax collections by source Total state expenditures State spending by function as a percent of total expenditures State debt Finance Financial regulation in the United States Dodd-Frank Act Federal Reserve Pensions Pension policy by state Public pension health by state Pension reform in San Jose and San Diego Pension Terms and Definitions Public pensions Civil liberties Affirmative action Campaign finance Nonprofit regulation Education Public education by state School choice by state Charter schools by state Higher education by state Education policy in the United States Public education in the United States Education statistics Education statistics in the United States Education spending per pupil Number of schools by school type in the U.S. Demographic information for all students in the United States Public school system expenditures in the United States Public school system revenues in the United States Public school teacher salaries in the United States Graduation rates by groups in state Public high school dropout rates by state ACT and SAT scores in the United States NAEP scores by state Major terms Blended learning Charter schools Common Core Dropout rate Progressive education Regulatory Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate School vouchers Teacher merit pay United States education agencies Elections Voting policy Voter identification laws by state Online voter registration Early voting Ballot access Ballot access for presidential candidates Ballot access for major and minor party candidates List of political parties in the United States Political party designation Redistricting State-by-state redistricting procedures Majority-minority districts Energy and Environment Energy Policy by state Fracking Portal Fracking information by state Fracking Fracking in the United States Energy policy in the United States Energy use in the United States Oil and gas on federal lands by state Energy terms and definitions Agencies and legislation Environmental Policy by state Endangered Species Policy Endangered species policy by state Environmental policy in the United States Environmental statistics Endangered species statistics Glossary of environmental terms Glossary of endangered species terms Healthcare Healthcare policy by state Medicaid spending by state Effect of the Affordable Care Act by state Healthcare policy in the United States Affordable Care Act Immigration Immigration in the United States Immigration by state

Fracking in the U.S.
Energy use in the U.S.
Energy policy in the U.S.
Environmental policy
State fracking policy
State environmental policy
Glossary of energy terms
Public policy news
Energy on the ballot Local fracking on the ballot Statewide fracking on the ballot

Petrochemicals are chemical substances made primarily from coal, oil, and natural gas. They are used to make consumer products such as aspirin, detergents, shampoo, pesticides, milk jugs, gasoline, carpeting, and more. Petrochemicals are considered feedstock, which is raw material used for processing or manufacturing another product.^[1][2]

Background

Petrochemicals, which are composed of hydrocarbons, encompass several chemicals. They are commonly defined as chemicals produced from crude oil and natural gas and used for commercial purposes. They may also include chemicals made from vegetable products. Petrochemicals are used to produce consumer products such as aspirin, detergents, shampoo, pesticides, milk jugs, gasoline, carpeting, synthetic fibers and rubbers, insulating materials, paints, polyester clothes, automobiles, and others.^[3][4][4][5]

Examples of petrochemicals are described below:

Types of petrochemicals

• Olefins are molecules, such as ethylene, propylene, and butylene, which are used to produce polyester fibres, antifreeze, film, plastics, synthetic rubber, carpets, plastic pipes, and more. They are produced from natural gas liquids, kerosene, and gas oil.^[6]

• Aromatics are molecules with a distinctive perfumed smell. They are raw materials used to produce detergents, dyes, clothing, cosmetics, paints, household fabrics, sports equipment, and more.^[7]

• Synthetic gas can be made from coal, oil, natural gas, biomass, or other hydrocarbon feedstocks. Synthetic gas has 50 percent of the energy density of natural gas. It is used to generate electricity and produce industrial gases, chemicals, fuels, and fertilizers. Coal emissions and municipal waste can be gasified to produce synthetic gas using other chemicals.^[8]

Production

Petrochemicals are produced primarily from liquefied natural gas and petroleum. At high temperatures, liquefied natural gas produces petrochemicals such as ethylene, propylene, butylenes, and butadiene. Crude oil produces similar chemicals as well as aromatic petrochemicals, such as benzene. Petrochemical processing plants produce petrochemicals in the following ways:^[9]

• Cracking is a method used to break up hydrocarbon molecules into useable parts. The petrochemicals are produced at high pressure and high temperatures or at lower temperature and lower pressure with a catalyst (a substance that increases the rate of a chemical reaction without changing its own chemical structure), such as a powder of silicon dioxide and aluminum oxide. The result is a mixture of solids and gas that acts as a liquid, which is then cooled and distilled for further use.

• Isomerization is a process that rearranges chains of molecules. The process can involve a catalyst that modifies chains of carbon atoms at high pressure and high temperatures. Isomerization can be used to make gasoline burn more efficiently in internal combustion engines.

• Reforming is a process using heat, pressure, and a catalyst to change the chemical structure of hydrocarbons, which are added to petroleum. The process also produces aromatic petrochemicals used in the cosmetic industry.

Use of petrochemicals

Petrochemicals are found in consumer products, including the following:^[10]

• Objects in commercial aircraft, such as seats, windows, floatation foams, and seat trays
• Military helmets, combat uniforms, and vests
• Medical gowns, catheters, hand sanitizer, surgical gloves, and aspirin
• Safety goggles, protective helmets, face masks, and protective footwear
• Plastic food and beverage containers
• Plumbing fixtures, windows in homes, roofing, fences, decks, and insulation
• CD and DVD players, cell phones, radios, televisions, washing machines, dishwashers, and freezers

Regulation

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued federal standards for petrochemical production in 1974 and amended the regulations in 1975, 1977, 1982, and 1985. The regulations require petrochemical facilities to limit their wastewater discharges as required under federal permits mandated by the Clean Water Act.^[11]

The American Fuel and Petroleum Manufacturers (AFPM), a trade association representing oil and gas manufacturers as well as petrochemical companies, argued in 2016 that the EPA had regulated the oil and natural gas industry beyond what is necessary to ensure health, safety, and environmental protection. “Despite the great progress we have made in environmental stewardship under the Clean Air Act and other laws, we are concerned that EPA and other agencies have at times moved from regulation to overregulation, making unreasonable and often conflicting demands on our members to spend enormous sums to make changes in their manufacturing processes that bring little or no significant environmental or health benefits,” according to the AFPA website in December 2016. In addition, the group argued, “The cumulative impact of overregulation has resulted in significant job losses, higher consumer costs, and a weakening our nation’s economic and national security.”^[12]

Economic and environmental impact

Proponents of petrochemicals argue that the industry is vital for creating consumer products, including electronics, vehicles, airplanes, aspirin, plastic containers, and more. In addition, proponents argue that the economic benefits of petrochemicals include lower prices for products and more higher-paying jobs in the industry. According to the American Fuel and Petroleum Manufacturers (AFPM), oil and gas refinery workers earned an average hourly wage approximately 50 percent higher than the U.S. average and that the petrochemical industry’s average salary was $100,000 as of December 2016.^[13][14]

Opponents of petrochemicals argue that petrochemicals produce valuable products but that the use of petrochemicals has an immeasurable negative environmental impact. Some opponents argue that the petrochemicals used in plastic plates, plastic containers, and other packaging could contain potential carcinogens that leach into food or liquids at high temperatures. The Sierra Club, an environmental advocacy group, argued in 2016 that several animals die by consuming plastics containing specific petrochemicals and that some products made with petrochemicals are not biodegradable and thus remain in the environment or oceans.^[15]

See also

Footnotes

v • e Energy Policy
Background	Energy policy in the United States • Fracking in the United States • Energy use in the United States • Electricity prices in the United States • Historic state electricity prices • Historic state natural gas prices • State energy production rankings • Environmental Policy • State environmental policy pages • Environmental policy in the United States • Energy and Environmental News
Terms	Abandoned mine drainage • Biofuels • Biomass • BTEX • Clean Air Act • Clean Water Act • Coal • Coalbed methane • Compressed natural gas • Crude oil • Directional drilling • Directional well • Electrical grid • Energy siting • Ethanol • Flare • Flowback • Frac sand • Frack fluid • Fracking • Geosteering • Geothermal energy • Horizontal drilling • Hydrocarbons • Hydroelectric energy • Liquid Petroleum Gases • Megawatt • Megawatt hour • Methane • Mineral rights • Natural gas • Natural gas liquids • Natural gas storage • Naturally Occurring Radioactive Materials • Nuclear power • Oil shale • Petrochemicals • Petroleum • Petroleum systems • Produced water • Proppants • Public Trust Doctrine • Renewable energy resources • Renewable Portfolio Standards • Seismicity • Shale gas • Shale play • Slick water frac • Slurry • Solar energy • Traditional energy resources • Vertical drilling • Volatile organic compounds • Wellbore • Wind energy
State energy information	Alabama • Alaska • Arizona • Arkansas • California • Colorado • Connecticut • Delaware • Florida • Georgia • Hawaii • Idaho • Illinois • Indiana • Iowa • Kansas • Kentucky • Louisiana • Maine • Maryland • Massachusetts • Michigan • Minnesota • Mississippi • Missouri • Montana • Nebraska • Nevada • New Hampshire • New Jersey • New Mexico • New York • North Carolina • North Dakota • Ohio • Oklahoma • Oregon • Pennsylvania • Rhode Island • South Carolina • South Dakota • Tennessee • Texas • Utah • Vermont • Virginia • Washington • West Virginia • Wisconsin • Wyoming
State fracking policy	Alabama • Alaska • Arizona • Arkansas • California • Colorado • Connecticut • Delaware • Florida • Georgia • Hawaii • Idaho • Illinois • Indiana • Iowa • Kansas • Kentucky • Louisiana • Maine • Maryland • Massachusetts • Michigan • Minnesota • Mississippi • Missouri • Montana • Nebraska • Nevada • New Hampshire • New Jersey • New Mexico • New York • North Carolina • North Dakota • Ohio • Oklahoma • Oregon • Pennsylvania • Rhode Island • South Carolina • South Dakota • Tennessee • Texas • Utah • Vermont • Virginia • Washington • West Virginia • Wisconsin • Wyoming