Phthalic Anhydride
Description: Phthalic anhydride is a special organic compound. Its formula is C₆H(CO)₂O. This compound comes from phthalic acid. It’s quite popular in making things like plasticizers, alkyd resins, and dyes.
Petrochemicals
Applications:
- It’s mainly used to make plasticizers—like di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (or DEHP for short!).
- They make alkyd resins for different kinds of coatings.
- It helps in creating dyes & pigments too.
- It is used in the manufacturing process of unsaturated polyester resins.
Methanol
Description: Methanol is sometimes called methyl alcohol. This is the simplest form of alcohol with the chemical formula CH₃OH. It’s a light, colorless liquid that can catch fire easily and has a smell like ethanol.
Applications:
- People use it to produce formaldehyde, acetic acid, & other chemicals.
- It works as a solvent in paints, varnishes, & inks.
- Methanol can also act as antifreeze for pipelines and windshield washer fluid!
- Additionally, it serves as fuel for race cars and boats; plus, it’s used in making biodiesel.
Xylene
Description: Xylene is an aromatic hydrocarbon. There are three types of xylene: ortho-xylene, meta-xylene, & para-xylene. It’s an important player in the BTX group (which stands for benzene, toluene, & xylene) and is well-known in the chemical industry.
Applications:
- Xylene acts as a solvent in industries like paint, rubber, & leather.
- It’s also used to create terephthalic acid and dimethyl terephthalate—both important for making polyester!
- Xylene serves as a cleaning agent for steel and silicon wafers too!
- It may also be used in making dyes, adhesives, & various coatings.
