Plastic products are an integral part of our life. Every day we interact with dozens of items from different types of plastic: water bottles, food packaging, toys, home appliances, furniture, windows, auto parts and even clothing.
Polymer raw materials have a lot of advantages in comparison with other materials, which opened plenty of opportunities for production and simplified many aspects of our life. Despite the fact that plastic has already celebrated its 100th anniversary, the demand for polymer raw materials began to appear only the last 50 years.
Polymer raw materials are produced mainly from associated petroleum gas - a mixture of gaseous carbons dissolved in petroleum. Propylene and ethylene are generated by cracking of petroleum , and their further processing and polymerization are the basis for obtaining plastic.
For example, polyethylene is produced by polymerization of ethylene with oxygen, polypropylene is obtained by polymerization of propylene in a solvent (benzine, hectane or propane).
Polystyrene, known to us from external wall insulation and shelves in the fridge, is produced from ethylbenzene contained in petroleum. PET is produced by synthesis of ethylene glycol (derived from ethylene) and terephthalic acid , also derived from petroleum.
Thus, the cost of polymer raw materials directly depends on fluctuations in oil prices. PVC is least dependent of petroleum raw materials because is 57% chlorine and 43% ethylene.
In fact, more often producers of polymer raw materials are oil-producing countries and oil refiners.
Our Company supplies a large group of polymer raw materials from the Asia-Pacific region and the Middle East countries. For more detailed information you can contact the LYMERTIN Company manager.