Propylene
The second-largest petrochemical building block after ethylene — the feedstock for polypropylene, acrylonitrile, propylene oxide, acrylic acid and oxo-alcohols.
Chelora Chemicals supplies polymer-grade and chemical-grade propylene to polymer and intermediate producers worldwide, with pressurised and refrigerated logistics managed end to end.
Product identity
- CAS Number
- 115-07-1
- IUPAC name
- Prop-1-ene
- Molecular formula
- C₃H₆
- Molecular weight
- 42.08 g/mol
- Boiling point
- -47.6 °C
- Melting point
- -185.2 °C
- UN Number
- UN 1077
- HS Code
- 2901 22
Note: Propylene is a liquefied gas at ambient temperature and pressure — it ships and is stored under pressure or refrigeration. Confirm exact classification for your shipment with your regulatory affairs team.
What Propylene is used for
Propylene is a colourless, flammable gas with a faintly sweet, petroleum-like odour, handled and shipped as a liquefied gas under pressure or refrigeration. It is recovered mainly as a co-product of ethylene steam cracking and from refinery fluid catalytic cracking (FCC) off-gas, with growing on-purpose production via propane dehydrogenation (PDH).
Propylene's single largest use is as the monomer for polypropylene, the versatile polymer behind packaging film, textiles, automotive parts and injection-moulded goods. Major chemical derivative routes include ammoxidation to acrylonitrile, oxidation (via acrolein) to acrylic acid, epoxidation to propylene oxide (polyurethanes), and oxo-synthesis to oxo-alcohols and plasticiser feedstocks.
Where it sits in the petrochemical value chain
- Ethylene cracking / FCC / PDH the sources propylene is recovered from or produced by.
- Propylene (this product) the olefin building block for the downstream chains below.
- Polypropylene / Acrylonitrile / Propylene Oxide / Acrylic Acid major derivative chains built on propylene. See Polypropylene, Acrylonitrile and Acrylic Acid.
Handling character
Propylene is extremely flammable and shipped as a pressurised or refrigerated liquefied gas. Full hazard detail is in the Safety section below.
| Parameter | Typical value |
|---|---|
| Appearance | Colourless liquefied gas |
| Purity | 99.5-99.8% min (polymer grade) |
| Ethane/propane content | Within producer specification |
| Total sulphur | Within producer specification (ppm level) |
Important: the figures above are indicative of commercial material and are offered for planning only. The batch certificate of analysis is the governing document.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Physical state | Liquefied gas under pressure or refrigeration |
| Boiling point | -47.6 °C |
| Melting point | -185.2 °C |
| Density (liquid) | 0.514 g/cm³ |
| Water solubility | Slightly soluble (~200 mg/L) |
| Flash point | -108 °C (extremely flammable) |
Physical constants compiled from public reference data for CAS 115-07-1 and rounded for readability. Treat them as orientation, not as a specification.
Where our customers put Propylene to work
The building block behind packaging, textiles, polyurethanes and acrylic chemistry.
Polypropylene production
Polymerised into homopolymer and copolymer polypropylene for packaging, textiles and automotive parts.
- Polymer-grade specification
- Pressurised bulk & refrigerated tanker supply
- Technical desk review on request
Acrylonitrile production
Ammoxidised with ammonia and oxygen into acrylonitrile for fibre, resin and rubber.
- Industrial-grade specification
- Documented batch traceability
- Contract & spot supply
Propylene oxide chain
Epoxidised to propylene oxide, the feedstock for polyurethane polyols and propylene glycol.
- Full analytical documentation available
- Retained sample held against the lot
Acrylic acid & acrylates
Oxidised via acrolein into acrylic acid for superabsorbent polymers and acrylate esters.
- Documented batch traceability
- Technical desk review on request
Oxo-alcohols & cumene
Converted via oxo-synthesis to butanol/2-ethylhexanol, and via alkylation to cumene for phenol/acetone.
- Research & process-scale quantities
- Full documentation supplied
Contract & scheduled supply
Polymer and derivative plants running continuous consumption are supported with scheduled bulk delivery.
- Annual contracts with scheduled call-off
- Price held across the contract period
- Second source held in reserve
How we supply Propylene
Chelora Chemicals is a supplier and sourcing partner, not a manufacturer. Propylene's pressurised/refrigerated handling and purity grade (polymer vs. chemical) make logistics and producer selection critical — that shapes how we manage this line.
We place your order with whichever qualified producer best matches your required grade, your price point and your delivery window, and confirm your jurisdiction's import requirements before booking.
We keep a second qualified source on this line, so a single-plant disruption never becomes your production problem.
- Purity grade confirmed before we quote. Polymer-grade vs. chemical-grade distinction matters to downstream polymerisation and derivative chemistry.
- UN 1077 documentation managed end to end. Classification, pressurised packaging approval and carrier compliance confirmed before booking.
- Scheduled call-off scheduling. We hold contracted tonnage and release it against your consumption calendar.
- Batch traceability to the producing plant. Full chain of custody documentation on request.
- Export machinery handled in-house. Classification, approved packaging, labelling, freight booking and customs paperwork are ours to manage.
- Polymer-grade and chemical-grade both sourced. Matched precisely to your polymerisation or derivative specification.
Shipped under pressure, handled with care
Pressurised cylinder, ISO tank or refrigerated tanker — tell us your preferred format and we will quote and classify to it.
Pressurised cylinders
Steel pressure cylinders for small-volume orders and trial quantities.
Pressurised ISO tank shipment
ISO tank containers rated for liquefied-gas transport, for continuous-consumption plants.
Bulk tanker delivery
Pressurised or semi-refrigerated rail cars or road tankers for large-volume domestic and regional delivery.
Incoterms to suit you
Quoted on the Incoterm your purchasing team works to, with documentation filed before booking.
Trial / sample quantities
Small pressurised packs dispatched for process trials before a commercial order is placed.
Contracted call-off supply
We hold contracted tonnage and release it against your consumption calendar.
Extremely flammable — handle accordingly
Propylene is an extremely flammable gas, handled under pressure or refrigeration, with a wide flammability range in air. The summary below is orientation only — the safety data sheet supplied with your specific batch is the authoritative document.
Classified hazards
H220Extremely flammable gas.H280Contains gas under pressure; may explode if heated.
Closed-system handling only. Propylene must be handled in sealed, vented systems with continuous gas detection and elimination of ignition sources; always read the SDS issued with your specific batch.
Storage
Store in pressurised or refrigerated vessels in a well-ventilated, bunded area away from ignition sources, oxidisers and incompatible materials, with continuous leak detection.
Handling
Handle only in closed systems with appropriate gas detection and forced ventilation; avoid any inhalation and eliminate ignition sources from the handling area.
Transport
Shipped as UN 1077 (Propylene), an extremely flammable liquefied gas. We confirm and document exact classification, approved pressure or refrigerated vessels and routing for your specific shipment and destination.
Every batch, documented
We verify documentation before dispatch so there are no surprises at your incoming-goods bench.
Specification agreed
Purity, ethane/propane content and trace sulphur confirmed against your process requirement before order placement.
Producer batch testing
The producing plant tests each batch against the agreed specification before release.
Documentation review
COA, SDS and pressurised-transport paperwork checked by our desk before the shipment is booked.
Traceable dispatch
Each shipment is traceable to its producing batch, with full chain-of-custody records on request.
How Propylene is made
Propylene is recovered industrially as a co-product of ethylene steam cracking and refinery fluid catalytic cracking (FCC), and increasingly produced on-purpose by propane dehydrogenation (PDH) where propylene demand outpaces co-product supply. All routes are followed by cryogenic or distillation-based separation to polymer-grade or chemical-grade purity.
We do not publish operating process parameters here; this is background only. Full technical documentation accompanies every shipment, and any process-specific detail you need is best confirmed directly with our technical desk.
| Chemical family | Simple olefin (alkene) |
|---|---|
| Functional groups | Carbon-carbon double bond |
| Reactivity | Addition polymerisation; electrophilic addition; oxidation, ammoxidation, oxo-synthesis |
| Related compounds | Ethylene, Polypropylene, Acrylonitrile, Acrylic Acid (downstream) |
Explore the wider petrochemical range
Propylene, answered
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