Industry Glossary

Flexible packaging resin used for blown and cast film, as well as extrusion coating/lamination.

Medium density polyethylene.  See polyethylene.

A.k.a. thiol. A typically odorous sulfur compound used in diverse applications, ranging from agricultural supplements to polymerization modifiers. Chevron Phillips Chemical offers a wide range of mercaptan structures, including linear, branched, and functionalized.

Oxygenate production facilities that are not associated with a petroleum refinery. Production from these facilities is sold under contract or on the spot market to refiners or other gasoline blenders.

An organometallic coordination compound, or more specifically, a cyclopentadienyl derivative of a transition metal or metal halide.  Metallocenes are best known as catalysts for polymerizing ethylene and propylene.

A.k.a. m-xylene, 3-methyltoluene or 1,3-dimethylbenzene.  Chevron Phillips Chemical’s Specialty Chemicals division sells high purity m-xylene.

A light, volatile alcohol intended for gasoline blending as described in Oxygenate definition.

A general classification of refined petroleum products that includes distillate fuel oil and kerosene. Military Kerosene-Type Jet Fuel: See Kerosene-Type Jet Fuel.

Kerosene-type jet fuel intended for use in military aircraft.

Includes all finished products not classified elsewhere (e.g., petrolatum, lube refining byproducts (aromatic extracts and tars), absorption oils, ram-jet fuel, petroleum rocket fuels, synthetic natural gas feedstocks, and specialty oils). Note: Beginning with January 2004 data, naphtha-type jet fuel is included in Miscellaneous Products.

The mass of a specific chemical defined as the weight of 6.02 x 10²³ atoms or molecules of that chemical.

A molecule of relatively simple structure and low molecular weight that is capable of being polymerized with itself or co-monomers into polymers, synthetic resins, or elastomers.  Examples of monomers include as ethylene, propylene, styrene, butadiene, and vinyl chloride.

Motor Gasoline (Finished): A complex mixture of relatively volatile hydrocarbons with or without small quantities of additives, blended to form a fuel suitable for use in spark-ignition engines. Motor gasoline, as defined in ASTM Specification D 4814 or Federal Specification VV-G-1690C, is characterized as having a boiling range of 122 to 158 degrees Fahrenheit at the 10 percent recovery point to 365 to 374 degrees Fahrenheit at the 90 percent recovery point. "Motor Gasoline" includes conventional gasoline; all types of oxygenated gasoline, including gasohol; and reformulated gasoline, but excludes aviation gasoline. Volumetric data on blending components, such as oxygenates, are not counted in data on finished motor gasoline until the blending components are blended into the gasoline. Note: E85 is included only in volumetric data on finished motor gasoline production and other components of product supplied.

Conventional Gasoline: Finished motor gasoline not included in the oxygenated or reformulated gasoline categories. Note: This category excludes reformulated gasoline blendstock for oxygenate blending (RBOB) as well as other blendstock.

Ed 55 and Lower: Finished conventional motor gasoline blended with a maximum of 55 volume percent denatured fuel ethanol.

Greater than Ed55: Finished conventional motor gasoline blended with denatured fuel ethanol where the volume percent of denatured fuel ethanol exceeds 55%.

OPRG: "Oxygenated Fuels Program Reformulated Gasoline" is reformulated gasoline which is intended for use in an oxygenated fuels program control area.

Oxygenated Gasoline (Including Gasohol): Oxygenated gasoline includes all finished motor gasoline, other than reformulated gasoline, having oxygen content of 2.0 percent or higher by weight. Gasohol containing a minimum 5.7 percent ethanol by volume is included in oxygenated gasoline. Oxygenated gasoline was reported as a separate product from January 1993 until December 2003 inclusive. Beginning with monthly data for January 2004, oxygenated gasoline is included in conventional gasoline. Historical data for oxygenated gasoline excluded Federal Oxygenated Program Reformulated Gasoline (OPRG). Historical oxygenated gasoline data also excluded other reformulated gasoline with a seasonal oxygen requirement regardless of season.

Reformulated Gasoline: Finished gasoline formulated for use in motor vehicles, the composition and properties of which meet the requirements of the reformulated gasoline regulations promulgated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency under Section 211(k) of the Clean Air Act. It includes gasoline produced to meet or exceed emissions performance and benzene content standards of federal-program reformulated gasoline even though the gasoline may not meet all of the composition requirements (e.g., oxygen content) of federal-program reformulated gasoline. Note: This category includes Oxygenated Fuels Program Reformulated Gasoline (OPRG). Reformulated gasoline excludes Reformulated Blendstock for Oxygenate Blending (RBOB) and Gasoline Treated as Blendstock (GTAB).

Reformulated (Blended with Alcohol): Reformulated gasoline blended with an alcohol component (e.g., fuel ethanol) at a terminal or refinery to raise the oxygen content.

Reformulated (Blended with Ether): Reformulated gasoline blended with an ether component (e.g., methyl tertiary butyl ether) at a terminal or refinery to raise the oxygen content.

Reformulated (Non-Oxygenated): Reformulated gasoline without added ether or alcohol components. 

Mechanical mixing of motor gasoline blending components, and oxygenates when required, to produce finished motor gasoline. Finished motor gasoline may be further mixed with other motor gasoline blending components or oxygenates, resulting in increased volumes of finished motor gasoline and/ or changes in the formulation of finished motor gasoline (e.g., conventional motor gasoline mixed with MTBE to produce oxygenated motor gasoline).

Naphthas (e.g., straight-run gasoline, alkylate, reformate, benzene, toluene, xylene) used for blending or compounding into finished motor gasoline. These components include reformulated gasoline blendstock for oxygenate blending (RBOB) but exclude oxygenates (alcohols, ethers), butane, and pentanes plus. Note: Oxygenates are reported as individual components and are included in the total for other hydrocarbons, hydrogens, and oxygenates.

An ether intended for gasoline blending as described in Oxygenate definition.