Chemicals

Table 1. Top Twenty-Five Chemicals (1986)

	US Production	(Million Metric Tons)	Principle Source	Principle End Use
Sulfuric Acid	33.	4	Sulfur or Pyrites, Air, Water	fertilizers
Nitrogen	22.	1	Air	oil recovery, electronics
Oxygen	15.	0	Air	steel
Ethylene	15.	0	Natural Gas	plastics
Lime	13.	7	Limestone	metals, pollution control
Ammonia	12.	7	Air, Natural Gas	fertilizers
Sodium Hydroxide	10.	0	Salt	chemicals, paper
Chlorine	9.	5	Salt	chemicals
Phosphoric Acid	8.	3	Phosphate Rock, Sulfuric Acid	fertilizers
Propylene	7.	9	Natural Gas	plastics
Sodium Carbonate	7.	8	Salt or Trona	glass
Ethylene Dichloride	6.	6	Natural Gas, Chlorine	plastics
Nitric Acid	5.	9	Ammonia, Air, Water	fertilizers, explosives
Urea	5.	0	Ammonia, Carbon Dioxide	fertilizers
Ammonium Nitrate	5.	0	Ammonia, Nitric Acid	fertilizers
Benzene	4.	5	Petroleum	plastics
Ethylbenzene	4.	0	Benzene, Ethylene	plastics
Carbon Dioxide	3.	9	Natural Gas, Water	refrigerant, beverages
Vinyl Chloride	3.	8	Ethylene, Chlorine	plastics
Styrene	3.	6	Ethylbenzene	plastics
Terephthalic Acid	3.	5	Petroleum, Air	plastics
Methanol	3.	3	Natural Gas, Water	plastics
Hydrochloric Acid	2.	7	Chlorine	metals, chemicals
Ethylene Oxide	2.	7	Ethylene, Air	plastics
Formaldehyde	2.	7	Methanol, Air	adhesives

Source: The Top Fifty Industrial Chemicals, Chang and Tikkanen, 1988.