Mainstream industrial feedstocks
Petroleum-based feedstocks: These are the most widely used feedstocks globally for olefin production, including naphtha, light diesel, and refinery gas. High-temperature cracking processes yield large quantities of basic olefins such as ethylene and propylene; this route currently accounts for the majority of my country's production capacity.
Coal: Aligned with my country's resource profile-characterized by abundant coal but scarce oil and natural gas-this route involves converting coal into methanol, followed by the Methanol-to-Olefins (DMTO) process. This pathway has achieved large-scale industrial application and accounts for approximately one-third of China's total olefin production capacity.
Natural gas and light hydrocarbons: These include components such as ethane and propane. Leveraging shale gas resources allows for direct cracking to produce olefins; the process is streamlined and results in lower pollution. The share of domestic capacity dedicated to light hydrocarbon cracking has been steadily increasing in recent years.
Laboratory preparation feedstocks
For small-scale laboratory production, common feedstocks include alcohols (such as ethanol), which undergo dehydration catalyzed by concentrated sulfuric acid to yield olefins. Alternatively, haloalkanes can be used; olefins are produced through an elimination reaction in an alcoholic solution of sodium hydroxide.
