Products
Union Carbide both produces and purchases ethylene, a basic building-block chemical, from components of crude oil and natural gas. We convert ethylene to polyethylene or react it with oxygen to produce ethylene oxide, the precursor to many of the products we sell: ethylene glycol and hundreds of solvents, alcohols, surfactants, amines and specialty products.
Some of the chemicals we make go directly into products used every day: polyethylene and polypropylene into food containers or toys; ethylene glycol into automotive antifreeze, and isopropanol into rubbing alcohol. Others are used in manufacturing processes to enhance quality and performance: ethyleneamines for wet-strength in paper towels; biocides as bacteria-growth inhibitors in cosmetics, and surfactants for soil removal in industrial cleaning. Other essential products include: deicing and anti-icing fluids to remove or prevent ice buildup on airplanes; amines for removing impurities in oil and gas refining processes; solution vinyl resins for industrial coatings to prevent corrosion, and polyethylene glycols to make tablets and pills easier to swallow.
Whether they are adding strength to stretch wrap, or smoothness to paint, removing static from laundry or simply making a teddy bear more cuddly, the products of Union Carbide make great chemistry a part of daily life.