Synthetic Organic Chemicals

Abstract

Synthetic organic chemicals are produced by the transformation of carbonaceous feedstocks into functionalized molecules through one or more chemical reactions. Such transformations are accomplished at vast industrial scales and the resulting products permeate every aspect of modern society. The molecules produced find use largely as monomers for polymer synthesis of ubiquitous plastics, or as task-specific ingredients for a myriad of applications as divergent as paint leveling agents to food preservatives. Advances in technology, significant increases in energy efficiency, as well as the utilization of fossil fuel-derived starting materials have resulted in unprecedented economy of scale and relatively stable product costs in spite of large relative increases in the price of oil and natural gas. The section entitled “Chemical Raw Materials and Feedstocks” covers the most important carbonaceous feedstocks currently utilized in the chemical processing industries, all derived from fossil fuel-based raw materials.