| Glossary R-S |
| Rr Refining Conversion of crude oil into useful products, such as naphtha, the most important feedstock for the petrochemical industry. Every refinery begins with the separation of crude oil into different fractions by distillation. The fractions are further treated to convert them into mixtures of more useful products by various methods such as cracking, reforming, alkylation, polymerisation and isomerisation. These mixtures of new compounds are then separated using methods such as fractionation and solvent extraction. Reforming The thermal or catalytic conversion of petroleum naphtha into more volatile products of higher octane number. It represents the total effect of numerous simultaneous reactions such as cracking, polymerisation, dehydrogenation, and isomerisation. Resin Any natural or synthetic organic compound consisting of a non-crystalline or viscous liquid substance. Natural resins are organic substances that are transparent or translucent, formed in plant secretions. Synthetic resins comprise a large class of synthetic products that have some of the physical properties of natural resins but are different chemically. Most synthetic resins are polymers. The term resin dates from the early years of the plastics industry; it originally referred to naturally occurring amorphous solids such as shellac and rosin. See also Plastics. Responsible Care Responsible Care is the chemical industry's commitment to continuous improvement in all aspects of health, safety and environment performance and to openness in communication about its activities and achievements. More... Risk Risk should be clearly distinguished from hazard. Risk is the chance that a given hazardous effect will occur. The use of fire by humans is an example of optimising the balance between hazard and risk, as fire, being extremely hazardous, must be used under carefully controlled conditions to keep risks to a minimum. Risk Assessment Substances on European priority lists must undergo an in-depth risk assessment covering the risks posed by the priority chemical to man (covering workers, consumers and man exposed via the environment) and the environment (covering the terrestrial, aquatic and atmospheric eco-systems and accumulation through the food chain). This risk assessment follows the framework set out in European Commission Regulation (EC) 1488/94 and implemented in the detailed Technical Guidance Documents (TGD) on Risk Assessment for New and Existing Substances. The first draft of the risk assessment reports are written by the Member States which act as "rapporteurs". The Commission mediates the meetings, which attempt to reach consensus on the conclusions of the risk assessments. ROI Return on Investment Rubber Synthetic rubber, as opposed to natural rubber (obtained from the exudations of certain tropical trees), is derived from petroleum and natural gas. Because of its elasticity, resilience, and toughness, rubber is the basic constituent of the tires used in automotive vehicles, aircraft, and bicycles. Rubber is also used in electrical insulation, and because it is waterproof, it is a favoured material for shoe soles. Ss SAN See Styrene-acrylonitrile SBR See Styrene-butadiene rubber SHE Safety, Health and Environment Solvent A solvent is a liquid that has the ability to dissolve, suspend or extract other materials, without chemical change to the material or solvent. Solvents make it possible to process, apply, clean or separate materials. Water is an inorganic solvent. Organic solvents include hydrocarbon solvents, oxygenated solvents and chlorinated solvents. Stabiliser A stabiliser is a substance added to another substance to prevent an alteration of its physical state. Stabilisers are added to plastics so as to allow them to have a long and useful life in any application, by keeping their properties stable. Steam cracking/Steam cracker Steam cracking, a further application of thermal cracking, is a petrochemical process used to produce olefinic raw materials (e.g. propylene, ethylene) from various feedstocks for petrochemicals manufacture. The feedstocks range from ethane to vacuum gas oil, with heavier feeds giving higher yields of by-products such as naphtha. The most common feeds are ethane, butane, and naphtha. Styrene Styrene is a clear, colourless liquid that is derived from petroleum and natural gas by-products, but which also occurs naturally. Styrene is used to create plastic materials used in a wide range of strong, flexible, and lightweight products. It is used in everything from food containers and packaging materials to cars, boats, and computers. Styrene-acrylonitrile (SAN) SAN is a transparent, rigid styrenic plastic offering high chemical resistance, used mainly in the automotive, electrical and electronics industry, as well as in household applications and building products. Styrene-butadiene rubber (SBR) SBR is a rubber manufactured from styrene. Because of its excellent abrasion resistance, it is widely used in automobile and truck tyres, as well as for carpet backing and paper coating. Other applications are in belting, flooring, wire and cable insulation, and footwear. Substance The word "substance" is used to mean chemical elements and their compounds in the natural state or obtained by any production process, including any additive necessary to preserve the stability of the product. In the European legislation, only the word "substance" is used. Surfactant Surfactants are products used as detergents, dispersing agents, emulsifiers, wetting agents, foaming or anti-foam agents, and solubilisers. They also constitute the raw material for the formulation of household products such as fabric detergents, shampoos, housecleaning products, as well as industrial auxiliary products for facilitating work in the manufacture of textile, flotation agents for ore, metal working, etc. They are used in other sectors of industry such as food processing, metallurgy, pharmaceuticals and public works. Sustainable development Humanity's ability "to make development sustainable, i.e. to ensure that it meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs". The European chemical industry supports this position, as defined by the World Commission on Environment and Development established by the United Nations. More... Synthesis/Synthetic The production of a substance by the union of chemical elements, groups, or simpler compounds, or by the degradation of a complex compound. Back to Home Page |