Polymer Science and Technology

Polymers in Petroleum Refinery

In the petroleum industry Polymerization is the process of transforming light olefin gases into hydrocarbons of higher molecular weight and higher octane number. The olefin gases consist of ethylene, propylene and butylenes. Polymerization in petroleum refinery combines two or more identical olefin gases molecules to form a single molecule with same proportions of the substances as in the original. This polymerization is done in the presence of catalyst and accomplished thermally at lower temperatures.