Glossary & *Trademarks

A

ACP
Measure of solvency of hydrocarbon solvents

actiCAT*
Catalyst presulfurization system

Aliphatic
Any organic compound in which the main structure is a chain of carbon atoms joined to each other is classified as being aliphatic.

ANSI
American National Standards Institute

Aromatic
Aromatics are a highly reactive group of hydrocarbons with unsaturated rings of carbon atoms, producing a great variety of products. As their name implies, they have a strong odour, which is not unpleasant.

ASTM
American Society for Testing and Materials

B

Base chemicals  

A group of chemicals produced in bulk from raw materials such as oil, gas and coal. Other chemicals are derived from base chemicals

BD
Butadiene

Benzene
The simplest aromatic compound with a ring of six carbon atoms and six hydrogen atoms; one of the most important feedstocks for the chemical industry.

BIO-BASE*
BIO-BASE is a registered trademark of Shrieve Chemical Products Company. Shrieve Chemical Products, Inc., located in the Woodlands, Texas, is a privately owned, independent supplier of performance fluids and specialty chemicals including drilling fluids, additives and production chemicals.

BLENDPRO*
Solvent formulation software

BP
Boiling Point

BPA Bisphenol-A
(4,4'-isopropylidenediphenol) An intermediate used in the production of epoxy, polycarbonate and phenolic resins. The name was coined after the condensation reaction by which it may be formed-two (bis) molecules of phenol with one of acetone (A). (Whittington's Dictionary of Plastics, published by Technomic Publishing)

British thermal unit (BTU)
The amount of heat required to raise the temperature of one pound of water by one degree Fahrenheit.

BTX
Abbreviation of the aromatic hydrocarbons, benzene, toluene and xylene.

C

CARADATE*
Isocyanates for polyurethane production

CARADOL*
Polyols for polyurethane production

CARAPOR*
Additive for polyurethane foam manufacture

CARATech*
A technology for flexible foam production

Catalyst
A substance which aids or promotes a chemical reaction without forming part of the final product. It enables the reaction to take place faster or at a lower temperature, and remains unchanged at the end of the reaction.

Caustic
NaOH = Sodium hydroxide. A corrosive substance due to its high pH

Coking
A thermal cracking process to break up large molecules into smaller ones with the generation of quantities of petroleum coke.

CPS
Compact Polystyrene

Cracking
The process of breaking down large molecules of oil into smaller ones. When this process is achieved by the application of heat only, it is known as thermal cracking. If a catalyst is used as well it is known as catalytic cracking. It is known as hydrocracking if the catalytic process is conducted in a hydrogen atmosphere. Cracking causes molecular decomposition and recombination to produce a range of more useful base chemicals.

Customer Lounge*
Customer services provided on-line in the field of bulk business to business chemical sales, in class 35 (U.S. CLS. 100, 101 and 102). Customer Lounge is a Shell trademark.

D

DEG  
Diethylene glycol

DEGMBE  
Diethylene glycol monobutyl ether

DEGMME  
Diethylene glycol monomethyl ether

DIME*  
Dimethyl cyclohexyl amine catalyst for polyurethane foam

DIOXITOL*  
Glycol ethers

DIPROXITOL* 
Glycol ethers

Distillation  
(Fractional distillation) A process based on the difference in boiling points of the liquids in the mixture to be separated. Successive vaporisation and condensation of crude oil in a fractionating column will separate out the lighter products, leaving a residue of fuel oil or bitumen. Distillation is carried out in such a way as to avoid any cracking. It is the basic process that takes place in an oil refinery.

DOBANE*  
Detergent intermediate

DOBANIC*  
Acids for detergent manufacture

DONAX*  
Brake and clutch fluid

Double bond  
The chemical bond between two carbon atoms can involve one, two or three pairs of electrons, producing a single (C-C), double (C=C) or triple (CºC) bond. While the extra pairs of electrons give the bond more energy they also make it more chemically reactive.

DUTREX*  
Oils for natural and synthetic rubber

E

EA  
Ethyl alcohol = ethanol

EBK  
Ethyl butyl ketone, solvent

ECH  
Epichlorohydrin

EG  
Ethylene glycol = 1,2-ethanediol = dihydroxyethane Alcohol formed by hydrolysis of Ethylene Oxide (EO)

EGMBE  
Ethylene glycol monobutyl ether

Elastomer  
A polymer with the properties of rubber. Polymers that can be formulated as elastomers are polyurethane, butyl rubber, silicones and specially treated ethylene-propylene copolymers.

Elemica  
Elemica is a trademark of the Elemica group of companies.

ENORDET*
Enhanced oil recovery (EOR) surfactants

EO  
Ethylene Oxide

E&P  
Exploration and Production function of the Shell Group

EPA  
United States Environmental Protection Agency

EPS  
Expandable Polystyrene

Ethanol  
(ethyl alcohol) A chemical formed by fermentation or synthesis; used as a raw material in a wide range of industrial and chemical processes.

Ethylene  
An olefin consisting of two carbon atoms and four hydrogen atoms, a very important base chemical in the chemical and plastics industries.

ETPs  
Engineering thermoplastics

F

FDA, F&DA  
United States Food and Drug Administration

Feedstock  
Raw material for a processing unit

Formul8*  
Polyurethane foam formulation software

G

GLYCOSHELL*
Antifreeze and coolant

H

HCl   
Hydrochloric Acid

Homopolymer  
When a polymer is derived from a single monomer then all the repeating units along its chain are the same and it is described as a homopolymer. Copolymer is made from two monomers.

Hydrocarbon  
An organic compound that consists exclusively of the elements carbon and hydrogen. Generally, the term hydrocarbon is used for the chemicals that are derived from natural gas, oil and coal. 

I

IBA   
Isobutyl alcohol = isobutanol

IBP  
Initial boiling point of a mixture of liquids

IPA 
Isopropyl alcohol

L

Linear Low Density Polyethylene (LLDPE)   
A plastic that is used predominantly in film applications due to its toughness, flexibility and relative transparency. LLDPE is the preferred resin for injection molding because of its superior toughness and is used in items such as grocery bags, garbage bags and landfill liners. (Adapted from Modern Plastics Encyclopedia 1995)

LINEVOL*  
Plasticiser alcohols

Low Density Polyethylene (LDPE)  
A plastic used predominantly in film applications due to its toughness, flexibility and relative transparency. LDPE has a low melting point, making it popular for use in applications where heat sealing is necessary. Typically, LDPE is used to manufacture flexible films such as those used for plastic retail bags and garment dry cleaning and grocery bags. LDPE is also used to manufacture some flexible lids and bottles, and it is widely used in wire and cable applications for its stable electrical properties and processing characteristics. (Adapted from Modern Plastics Encyclopedia 1995)

M

MEK   
Methyl Ethyl Ketone

MeOH  
Methyl Alcohol = methanol

MIBK  
Methyl isobutyl ketone

Monomer  
A relatively simple compound that can react to form a polymer (i.e. polymerize). (Plastics Engineering Handbook of the Society of the Plastics Industry, Inc., edited by Michael L. Berins)

MSDS  
Material Safety Data Sheet

N

Naphtha  
Naphtha, which also contains some aromatics, is the primary source from which petrochemicals are derived.

NEODENE*  
Linear higher olefins

NEODOL*  
Detergent alcohols and derivatives

NEODOL LM*
Ethoxylates produced from alcohols derived from oleochemical processes

NEODOX*  
Alcohol ethoxy carboxylic acid (use as a detergent for personal care)

NEOFLEX*  
Plasticiser alcohols

NEOFLO*  
Drilling fluids range derived from olefins and paraffins

NEOSOLV*  
Higher olefin-based solvents

Nonene*  
Branched olefin produced by the polymerisation of propylene

NPA  
n-propyl alcohol

O

Olefin   
Olefins are aliphatic hydrocarbons with one or more double bonds along the chain. The lower olefins have short chains with only two, three or four carbons, and the simplest one is ethylene. The higher olefins have chains of up to 20 or more carbon atoms, and generally have the double bond between the first two carbons of the chain. These are termed the alpha olefins.

Organic chemicals  
These are based on carbon compounds and form the backbone of the petrochemicals industry, while inorganic chemicals are non-carbon chemicals, such as mineral acids, alkalis, chlorine, hydrogen peroxide and various salts.

OXITOL*  
Glycol ethers

P

PB  
Polybutylene

PE  
Polyethylene

Petrochemical  
An organic compound that has been derived from petroleum or natural gas. There are almost 200 chemicals that can be so described and they include many simple hydrocarbons (such as methane, ethane, etc.) aromatic hydrocarbons (benzene, toluene, etc.), olefins (ethylene, propylene, etc.), naphthenes and various of their derivatives.

PO  
Propylene oxide

Polymer  
Polymer is derived from the Greek word poly meaning many while the term monomer is derived from mono meaning one. When identical simple molecules (monomers) come together and link up in a chain-like fashion they form a polymer. Polymers can be short chains of only a few dozen units, or long chains with millions of units. The chemical reaction that forms a polymer is called polymerisation. There are natural polymers (often referred to as biopolymers) such as cellulose, rubber and DNA, and synthetic polymers such as polyethylene, nylon and PVC.

Polyol  
This is an organic molecule with three or more alcohol groups attached. The correct chemical term for an alcohol group is a hydroxy group with the combination of one oxygen attached to one hydrogen (OH).

Polyolefin  
This is the collective name given to those polymers that are made from the lower olefins: ethylene, propylene, butylene and isoprene. The polyolefins are thermoplastic polymers (see under thermoset).

POSTech*  
A co-polymer polyols production technology

PP  
Polypropylene

(ppb)  
Parts by weight per billion parts

(ppm)  
Parts by weight per million parts

PROXITOL*  
Glycol ethers

PS  
Polystyrene

R

Resin   
Any of a class of solid or semi-solid organic products of natural or synthetic origin, generally of high molecular weight with no definite melting point. Most resins are polymers. (Plastics Engineering Handbook of The Society of the Plastics Industry, Inc., edited by Michael L. Berins, 1991)

S

SARAPAR*  
Detergent normal paraffins

SARASOL*  
Paraffins

SBA  
Secondary butyl alcohol

ShellSol*  
Solvents

SHELLZONE*  
Antifreeze and coolant

SM  
Styrene monomer

Solvent  
A liquid that is capable of dissolving another substance is called a solvent. Solvents can be chosen or blended to dissolve almost any kind of material and they are an integral part of the chemicals industry. They are an essential part of all cleaning processes, both industrial and domestic.

SURDYNE*  
Drilling mud and oilfield production chemical components

Surfactant  
This is short for surface-active agent and is used to describe a chemical that will reduce the surface tension of water when it is added to it. This enables the water to mix with materials it would otherwise not dissolve, such as grease. Surfactants can be detergents, wetting agents and emulsifiers, but all have the same chemical ability for one end of the molecule to be attracted to water and the other to organic materials, like greases, fats or oils.

Sustainable Development  
To meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. (The World Commission on Environment and Development, Our Common Future, Oxford University Press, 1987)

Syngas  
This is an abbreviation of synthesis gas and is applied to several kinds of mixtures that are produced by reacting steam, or steam and oxygen, with a heated carbon-containing material such as natural gas, heavy petroleum oil, coal or coke. Syngas consists mainly of hydrogen and carbon monoxide, and this can then be converted to other more useful chemicals such as methanol, acetic acid, gasoline, or waxes.

T

Thermoforming  
The process of heating a thermoplastic sheet to a working temperature and then forming it into a finished shape by means of heat or pressure. (Modern Plastics Encyclopedia 1995)

Thermoplastic  
Plastic which is solid when cold, but which may flow and be re-formed with the application of heat.

Thermoset  
A polymer that solidifies when heated, in other words it sets and cannot thereafter be changed, is called a thermoset. Some polymers behave like this because the heating process causes the chains of the polymer to bind to each other, via cross-links, and these cannot then be broken. Polymers that remain malleable after heating and cooling are referred to as thermoplastics. Polymers of this kind can also be cross-linked by the addition of certain cross-linking agents and turned into rigid materials.

TRIOXITOL*  
Glycol ethers