Chemistry Reference
In-Depth Information
BENZENE DERIVATIVES
CH
2
CH
2
hydrogen
CH
3
CH
CH
2
HNO
3
/H
2
SO
4
chlorine
oxygen
O
CH
2
CH
3
CH
3
CH
CH
3
NO
2
(Cl)
16
O
O
ethylbenzene
cyclohexane
isopropylbenzene
nitrobenzene
chlorobenzenes
maleic anhydride
catalyst
oxygen
hydrogen
CH
CH
2
OH
NH
2
styrene
phenol
aniline
During the 1800s, benzene was of limited commercial value, finding use
mainly as a solvent. But after the invention of the internal combustion engine
and the automobile, it was found that motors ran better when the fuel
contained benzene. This added a new economic incentive to recover all of
the benzene possible from the steel industry's coke ovens. However, just
prior to World War II, the importance of benzene as a chemical intermediate
started to be recognized. These dual incentives (gasoline and chemical inter-
mediate) led to new and improved benzene processes based on petrochem-
istry rather than coal.
