Chemistry Reference
In-Depth Information
HIGH-VOLUME ORGANIC CHEMICALS
R
M
S
AW
ATERIAL
OURCES
1. Petroleum and natural gas
About 90% of all organic chemicals produced are obtained from
petroleum and natural gas. These are nonrenewable sources, so
eventually alternate raw materials will have to be utilized.
2. Coal
Prior to World War II, this was the principal organic chemical raw
material. It is more difficult to process than oil, but most European
countries and the U.S. have very large coal reserves. However, it
is nonrenewable.
3. Biomass (carbohydrates)
Biomass includes chemicals obtained from wood, sugar, grain, etc.
A totally renewable source, it will become more important in the
future.
4. Animal and vegetable oils
Chemicals from animal and vegetable oils are known as “fatty acid”
products. Obviously, a renewable source.
After World War II, there was an increasing demand for gasoline and other
fuels for transportation. Oil was plentiful and cheap, both in the U.S. and in
Europe. New high-capacity processes to refine gasoline made by-products
ethylene, propylene, and aromatics available for chemical synthesis at a much
lower cost than previous sources, such as biomass and coal. By about 1960,
gas and oil surpassed coal as the major source of organic chemicals. The price
of oil remained relatively stable while coal increased in price because its
recovery is labor intensive. By 1970, the changeover was complete and the
petrochemical age had arrived. Now, in the U.S., organic chemical production
from coal is insignificant, but it remains of some importance in South Africa.
