TABLE OF CONTENTS As discussed in Chapter 2, paraffinic hydrocarbons are less reactive than olefins; only a few chemicals are directly based on them. Nevertheless, paraffinic hydrocarbons are the starting materials for the production of olefins. Methane's relation with petrochemicals is primarily through synthesis gas (Chapter 5). Ethane, on the other hand, is a major feedstock for steam crackers for the production of ethylene. Few chemicals could be obtained from the direct reaction of ethane with other reagents. The higher paraffins propane, butanes, pentanes, and heavier also have limited direct use in the chemical industry except for the production of light olefins through steam cracking. This chapter reviews the petrochemicals directly produced from ethane and higher paraffins.
The main source for ethane is natural gas liquids. Approximately 40% of the available ethane is recovered for chemical use. The only large consumer of ethane is the steam cracking process for ethylene production.
A minor use of ethane is its chlorination to ethyl chloride:
By-product HC1 may be used for the hydrochlorination of ethylene to produce more ethyl chloride. Hydrochlorination of ethylene, however, is the main route for the production of ethyl chloride:
Major uses of ethyl chloride are the manufacture of tetraethyl lead and the synthesis of insecticides. It is also used as an alkylating agent and as a solvent for fats and wax.
A small portion of vinyl chloride is produced from ethane via the Transcat process. In this process a combination of chlorination, oxychlorination, and dehydrochlorination reactions occur in a molten...
