steam-cracking
Hydrocarbon thermal breakdown
Steam-cracking is a petrochemical process that breaks down hydrocarbons into simpler molecules by exposing them to high-temperature steam.
The process is fundamental to producing ethylene, propylene, and other building blocks for plastics and synthetic materials: The refinery's steam-cracking unit processes naphtha into chemical feedstocks.
Simplest alkene, C₂H₄
- propyleneUnsaturated three-carbon hydrocarbon
- butadieneConjugated four-carbon diene
- benzeneAromatic hydrocarbon solvent
- tolueneAromatic solvent from petroleum
xylene · hydrogen · methane · aromatics · fuel oil · acetylene · isoprene · styrene
Simplest alkene, C₂H₄
- propyleneUnsaturated three-carbon hydrocarbon
- pyrolysisHeat-driven molecular breakdown
- furnaceEnclosed heat-producing structure
- feedstockUnprocessed manufacturing input
naphtha · thermal · hydrocarbon · coils · quenching · radiant · convection · severity
Industrial purification facility
- plantBotanical organism
- capacityMaximum amount containable
- productionMaking or generating something
- ExxonMobilMultinational petroleum conglomerate
Dow · expansion · investment · turnaround · maintenance · economics · margin · integration
ethylene
Simplest alkene, C₂H₄
- propyleneUnsaturated three-carbon hydrocarbon
- butadieneConjugated four-carbon diene
- benzeneAromatic hydrocarbon solvent
toluene · xylene · hydrogen · methane · aromatics · fuel oil · acetylene · isoprene · styrene · polyethylene
ethylene
Simplest alkene, C₂H₄
- propyleneUnsaturated three-carbon hydrocarbon
- pyrolysisHeat-driven molecular breakdown
- furnaceEnclosed heat-producing structure
feedstock · naphtha · thermal · hydrocarbon · coils · quenching · radiant · convection · severity · dilution
refinery
Industrial purification facility
- plantBotanical organism
- capacityMaximum amount containable
- productionMaking or generating something
ExxonMobil · Dow · expansion · investment · turnaround · maintenance · economics · margin · integration · complex