Question

What are petrochemicals? Write the names and uses of some of them.

Answer 1

Hint: Petrochemicals are defined as the chemical products obtained by the refining of the petroleum and mixing it with some other chemical so as to form products. These products are very widely used for various purposes like in cosmetics, detergents, solvents, etc.

Complete answer:
Petrochemicals are basically a set of compounds that are extracted or made using petroleum after it is refined. They are made of hydrocarbons that are separated and extracted from petroleum and natural gas.
Now this petroleum is used for making various products: -
Cosmetics – petrochemicals are used to make cosmetics which are used for various purposes like taking care of the skin of various body parts.
Resins, films and plastics in films are also made by using petrochemicals.
It is also widely used in agriculture from the creation of plastic to being used to make fertilisers for the crops
Petrochemicals are also used for making various household products such as carpets, detergents used for washing clothes and hands and also used for making synthetic fibres which are further used to make clothes, used widely.
Petrochemicals are also used to make paints and coatings which are used for various purposes from painting roads to houses to buildings.
These are also used for making dyes, used in hair to give them colour of want.
Petrochemicals are also used for manufacturing various products such as solar panels, thermal insulation for buildings, parts of electric vehicles, batteries and wind turbine blades.

Note:
Although petrochemicals give us innumerable useful products, they can also be injurious to the health of living beings and the earth’s ecosystem. Most of these chemicals when released can exhibit unfavourable effects on our environment such as air, water and soil pollution.