A fundamental product of steam cracking (the process of thermal pyrolisis of oil hydrocarbons), this is the raw material mostly used in producing polyethylene. Other important markets for ethylene are ethylbenzene, ethylene-propylene rubber (EPR, EP(D)M), dichloroethane and in small part, ethylene oxide.

Main co-product of steam cracking, it is the raw material used to produce polypropylene (PP), the second most important thermoplastic after polyethylene. PP is the principal derivative of propylene and accounts for over 50% of its total demand. It has numerous applications: plastic films, containers for industrial batteries, automotive components, electronics and so on. Other derivatives of propylene include propylene oxide, cumene, acrylonitrile, the oxo-alcohols, and other minor products widely used in industry.

Intermediate for the production of elastomers, it comes from the processing of the C4 fraction generated by steam cracking. The end uses of butadiene are in styrene-butadiene rubber (SBR), polybutadiene rubber (BR), acrylonitrile-butadiene rubber (NBR), and in styrene-butadiene latices. These elastomers have various industrial uses: transport (tyres, bumpers, dashboards...), building (panels, window and door profiles, flooring...), electronics and home appliances, and footwear.

Benzene
This is the basic hydrocarbon of the aromatics, called in this way because of their typical odour. It is the base compound for various industrial applications and is used by Polimeri Europa to produce important chemical intermediates, such as ethylbenzene,the intermediate for the production of styrene and cumene, intermediate for the production of phenol.

Ethylbenzene
Ethylbenzene is produced from C8 cut separation and from the alkylation of benzene with ethylbenzene; its main use is as raw material for the styrene monomer production.

Styrene
The conventional method for producing styrene monomer is the dehydrogenation of ethylbenzene.
An alternative process consists in involving the oxidation of ethylbenzene to form ethylbenzene hydroperoxide which reacts with propylene and produces propylene oxide and styrene monomer.
Styrene monomer is a basic building block for the production of polystyrene, ABS (acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene), latex styrene-butadiene, rubbers, unsatured polyester resins. These products are used in several sectors: household appliances, packaging, toys, food packaging, tyres.

Cumene is a colourless liquid with a typical odour. Soluble in alcohols, ethers, benzene completely insoluble in water. It is mainly used for the production of phenol and acetone. It is an intermediate for organic syntheses.

Phenol
Raw material for the production of phenolic thermosetting resins used for plastic laminates, insulation moulding (in the automotive, appliance and electronic industry) and adhesives (in plywood and the woodworking industry). Also used to produce bisphenol, a basic component of polycarbonates and epoxy resins.

Derivatives
Hydrogenates (cyclohexanol and cycloexanone): key intermediates in the production of caprolactam, nylon 6, adipic acid and nylon 6-6, they are used also like solvents and intermediates for the synthesis of herbicides and pharmaceutical derivatives (cycloexanone) and for the manifacture of esters used as plasticizer.
Alpha-methyl styrene:intermediate for ABS resins in the automotive industry, co-monomer for the production of PVC building materials and component of industrial perfumes.
Acetophenone::used as a base for fragrance synthesis and as a solvent in the pharmaceutical industry.
Cumene hydroperoxide: radicalic polymerisation initiator.

Intermediate for methacrylates (MMA, methacrylic polymers) and bisphenol A (epoxy resins, polycarbonates). Solvent for paints, varnishes, lacquers, adhesives and inks, and for vinyl, acrylic, and cellulose resins. Intermediate for the synthesis of pharmaceuticals (vitamins) and cosmetics.

This is an aromatic hydrocarbon with many industrial applications. It is used as an octane component in the formulation of the different types of gasoline and in the production of paints and thinners. It is the raw material used to produce toluene-diisocyanate (TDI), a key material for the production of polyurethane foams, and for the production of benzene and paraxylene through the selective disproportionation process (MSTDP).

This is a family of aromatic hydrocarbons whose molecular structure contains 8 carbon atoms. It includes paraxylene, metaxylene and orthoxylene.

Paraxylene
Paraxylene is basically used to produce purified terephthalic acid (PTA) and dimethyl terephthalate (DMT), which are used in the production of polyester fibres and resins. Polyester fibres are employed in specific technical sectors (e.g. spun-bonded fibres) but primarily in the textile/apparel industry. This industry uses polyester fibres in the form of staple or continuous yarn. Staple, used alone or in blends with natural fibres, is widely used in the production of textile products, such as fabrics and knitwear.
Metaxylene
Metaxylene, which in Europe is produced only by Polimeri Europa, is used to create the isophthalic acid (IPA), utilized as a copolymer in the formulation of bottle-grade polyethylene terephthalate (PET), a polymer used extensively for plastic bottles.
Orthoxylene
Orthoxylene is an intermediate for the production of phthalic anhydride, used in phthalic plasticisers, alkyd resins and unsaturated polyester resins. Orthoxylene is also used for bactericidal solvents, herbicides and lubricants.

Hydrocarbons obtained from processing heavy aromatic fractions, otherwise used to produce gasoline. The two main compounds are:

Pseudocumene
Pseudocumene is primarily used for the production of trimellitic anhydride, widely employed for resins. It is also employed in the pharmaceuticals, colorants, and plasticizers.

Mesitylene
Mesitylene, intermediate for colorants used to prepare antioxidants and organic inhibitors and as a base for the production of agrochemicals (fungicides).

Obtained from the C5 fraction of pyrolysis gasoline, it is used in the preparation of rigid polyurethane foams employed as insulation in a broad range of refrigerating equipment (home, retail, transport, and industrial usage).

Obtained from the C5 fraction of pyrolysis gasoline, it has many applications, including hydrocarbon resins (HCR) and unsatured polyester resins (UPER). HCR are used in hotmelt adhesives, PSA hotmelt adhesives (packaging, etc.) and inks; UPER are used in the production of laminates (building, nautics, transport), glass-packed resins (industry, building, pipelines) and processed by casting, injection or other processes. Another significant application is ethylene- propylene-dimer elastomers (EPDE) used in gaskets (automotive, home appliances), for coating electrical cables, producing conveyor belts, and in waterproof sheathing for construction. Dicyclopentadiene is also employed in fragrances and flame-retardants.