Oil and gas production handbook An introduction to oil and gas production

Figure 26. Aromatics – benzene and styrenic chain, derivatives 
 
Styrene-acrylonitrile (SAN) is like polystyrene but offers higher thermal 
resistance and is therefore used mainly in the automotive, electrical and 
electronics industry, as well as in household applications and building 
products. 
 
Acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS) is a tough, heat-resistant  and impact-
resistant thermoplastic, with the acrylonitrile providing heat resistance and 
the styrene units offering rigidity. It is widely used for appliance and 
telephone housings, luggage, sporting helmets, pipe fittings and automotive 
parts. 
 
Styrene-butadiene rubber (SBR) is a rubber manufactured from styrene. 
Because of its excellent abrasion resistance, it is widely used in automobile 
and truck tires, as well as for carpet backing and paper coating. About 50% 
of a car tire is made from SBR. Other applications are in belting, flooring, 
wire and cable insulation and footwear. 
7.2 Olefins 
Olefins are petrochemical derivatives produced by cracking feed stocks from 
raw materials such as natural gas and crude oil. Lower olefins have short 

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chains with only two, three or four carbon atoms, and the simplest one is 
ethylene. The higher olefins have chains of up to twenty or more carbon 
atoms. The main olefin products are ethylene, propylene, butadiene and C4 
derivatives. They are used to produce plastics, as chemical intermediates, 
and, in some cases, as industrial solvents. 
7.2.1 Ethylene, derivatives