Uses of Benzene

There are many uses of Benzene that range from a solvent to a gasoline additive.

Prior to the 1920's, benzene was frequently used as an industrial solvent, especially for degreasing metal.

As its toxicity became obvious, other solvents replaced benzene in applications that directly exposed the user to benzene.

As a gasoline additive, benzene increases the octane rating and reduces knocking.

As a result, gasoline often contained several percent benzene before the 1950s, when tetraethyl lead replaced it as the most widely used antiknock additive.

However, with the global phaseout of leaded gasoline, benzene has made a comeback as a gasoline additive in some nations.

In the United States, concern over its negative health effects and the possibility of benzene entering the groundwater have led to stringent regulation of gasoline's benzene content, with values around 1% typical.

European gasoline specifications now contain the same 1% limit on benzene content.

By far the largest use of benzene is an intermediate to make other chemicals.

The most widely produced derivatives of benzene are styrene, which is used to make polymers and plastics, phenol for resins and adhesives (via cumene), and cyclohexane, which is used in Nylon manufacture.

Smaller amounts of benzene are used to make some types of rubbers, lubricants, dyes, detergents, drugs, explosives and pesticides.

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