When did the process of manufacturing petrochemicals start?
The history of petrochemical products actually dates back to ancient Egypt. Products we know today as ethylene and polyethylene were made the ancient Egyptians. They were smart enough to know that when the fig plant was gassed, it would stimulate ripening, and this process released the ethylene which was produced organically in the plant. History of Modern Day Production of Petrochemicals In 1872 the first chemical to be made from petroleum, carbon black*, was formed by the partial combustion of natural gas in air. Carbon black is used primarily in the production of synthetic rubber. Cracking was introduced into crude oil refineries in 1913. (“Cracking” is the second state in the refinery process, called Conversion, where the molecules are re-arranged). Widespread production of petrochemicals grew out of efforts to recover and use the chemical by-products of the cracking process. The modern petrochemical industry started in 1920 with the opening of the Standard Oil Company plant in New
