| Glossary E-F |
| Ee Epoxy resins A flexible resin made using phenols and used chiefly in coatings, adhesives, electrical laminants and composites for its excellent adhesion, strength and chemical resistance. EPRA European Phenolic Resins Association, a sector group of the Association of Petrochemicals Producers in Europe (APPE). For more information, click here. EPS See Expanded polystyrene ESIG European Solvents Industry Group, a group within the Association of Petrochemicals Producers in Europe (APPE) gathering manufacturers and users of oxygenated and hydrocarbon solvents. For more information, click here. Ester Any of a class of organic compounds made from the chemical reaction between an alcohol and an organic acid. Ethylbenzene Ethylbenzene is formed by combination of ethylene and benzene, and is then dehydrogenated to styrene for use in the production of plastics and synthetic rubber. EUROPIA European Petroleum Industry Association. Existing chemicals Chemical substances, which were deemed to be on the European Community market between 1 January 1971 and 18 September 1981. An "existing" chemical substance is in the EU defined as any chemical substance listed in the European Inventory of Existing Commercial Substances (EINECS), an inventory containing 100,195 substances. The Regulation 793/93 foresees that the evaluation and control of the risks posed by existing chemicals will be carried out in four steps: data collection, priority setting, risk assessment and risk reduction. Any chemical substance marketed after 18 September 1981 is called a new chemical. For more information, visit the European Chemicals Bureau. Expanded polystyrene (EPS) Expanded polystyrene, manufactured from styrene, is a thermal plastic material supplied to moulders in the form of a polystyrene bead. The beads, which contain a blowing agent, are processed and moulded into low-density foam articles, such as protective packaging, foam insulation and building and construction. Exposure assessment The exposure assessment is the determination of the emissions in order to estimate the concentrations/doses of a substance to which human populations or environmental spheres (water, soil and air) are or may be exposed. Extruded polystyrene (XPS) Extruded polystyrene, manufactured from styrene, is a thermal plastic material manufactured by a variety of extrusion processes. Polystyrene foam board and extruded foam sheet have properties that make it a frequent choice for thermal insulation, sheathing, roofing and building and construction application. Ff Feedstock Raw material used in a processing plant. The most important feedstock for the European petrochemical industry is naphtha. Fertiliser Substance that adds inorganic or organic plant nutrients to soil and improves its ability to grow crops, trees, or other vegetation. Fibreglass See Unsaturated polyester resins. Fossil fuel A general term for buried combustible geologic deposits of organic materials occurring within the Earth's crust, that can be used as a source of energy. They all contain carbon and were formed as a result of geologic processes from decayed plants and animals that have been converted to crude oil, coal, natural gas, or heavy oils hundreds of millions of years ago. Fuel A material used to produce heat or power by burning. Fuel oxygenate Oxygenates are compounds containing oxygen in a chain of carbon and hydrogen atoms. Today, oxygenates are blended into gasoline in two forms: alcohols or ethers. Ethanol is the most commonly used alcohol oxygenate; methyl-tertiary-butyl-ether, or MTBE, is the most commonly used ether oxygenate. Fuel oxygenates are used in gasoline to boost the octane rating and to decrease the toxic emissions in the exhaust. Back to Home Page |