Naphthalene

Raw material

1. Coal tar

Process

Naphthalene is the most abundant single component of coal tar. Although the composition of coal tar varies with the coal from which it is produced, typical coal tar is about 10% naphthalene by weight. In industrial practice, distillation of coal tar yields an oil containing about 50% naphthalene, along with a variety of other aromatic compounds. This oil, after being washed with aqueous sodium hydroxide to remove acidic components (chiefly various phenols) and with sulfuric acid to remove basic components, undergoes fractional distillation to isolate naphthalene.

Product

Naphthalene

Used as

Household fumigant (such as in mothballs), chemical intermediate, wetting agent/surfactant

Production facility

Maryborough, QLD

Export

Bogota, Colombia