Propylene

Propylene, also called propene, is a three-carbon alkene with the formula C₃H₆. It is a major chemical feedstock and the monomer used to make polypropylene.

Polypropylene: A thermoplastic polymer made by linking propylene molecules into long chains. Propylene is the monomer whose polymerization produces this widely used plastic.
Alkene: A hydrocarbon containing at least one carbon–carbon double bond. Propylene belongs to this family because it contains one carbon–carbon double bond.
Fluid catalytic cracking: A refinery process that converts heavy hydrocarbons into lighter products using a powdered catalyst. It produces propylene as a valuable coproduct while cracking heavier petroleum fractions.
Ethylene: A two-carbon alkene with the formula C₂H₄ and a major chemical feedstock. Its smaller carbon skeleton produces different polymers and derivatives from propylene.
Polyolefin: A polymer made from simple olefin monomers such as ethylene or propylene. Polypropylene places propylene within the large family of commodity plastics.
Propylene oxide: An epoxide used to make polyether polyols, propylene glycol, and other chemicals. It is a major propylene derivative produced by selective oxidation.
Electrophilic addition: A reaction in which an electrophile and a nucleophile add across a carbon–carbon multiple bond. The electron-rich double bond in propylene commonly reacts by addition.
Steam cracking: A high-temperature process that breaks hydrocarbons into smaller molecules using steam and short residence times. Steam cracking yields propylene alongside ethylene and other light hydrocarbons.
Butylene: A family of four-carbon alkenes, including 1-butene and 2-butene. These larger alkenes share propylene’s double bond but have distinct products and uses.
Plastic recycling: The collection and processing of plastic waste for reuse as materials or feedstock. Recycling polypropylene addresses waste from products made using propylene.

Linked from 15 pages