Unsaturated organic substance Propylene, sometimes known as propene, has the chemical formula CH3CH=CH2. It is the second-simplest member of the alkene class of hydrocarbons and has one double bond. It is a colourless gas with a light aroma resembling petroleum.
Steam cracking is the main method of manufacturing propylene. Ethane and ethylene are produced using the same technique. Ethylene, propylene, methane, hydrogen, and other chemicals are produced when propane is cracked. Around 15% of propylene is produced. Naphtha is the other main feedstock, particularly in the Middle East and Asia. Fractional distillation is a method for separating Propylene from hydrocarbon mixtures produced by cracking and other refining procedures; the proportion of refinery-grade propene is between 50 and 70 percent. Shale gas is a significant source of propane in the US.
In the petrochemical sector, ethylene is the most significant beginning product, while propane is the second. It serves as the foundation for many different goods. About two thirds of the world's production is consumed by polypropylene producers. Films, fibres, containers, packaging, and caps and closures are a few examples of polypropylene's ultimate uses. Important compounds including butyraldehyde, acrylonitrile, cumene, Propylene oxide, and acrylic acid are all produced using propane. Over 85 million tonnes of propene were processed globally in 2013. The cumene process transforms benzene and propane into acetone and phenol, respectively.
