The following is a partial list of the major commercial petrochemicals and their derivatives:

• ethylene - the simplest olefin; used as a ripening hormone, a monomer and a chemical feedstock
• polyethylenes - polymerized ethylene
• ethanol - made by hydration (chemical reaction adding water) of ethylene
• ethylene oxide - sometimes called oxirane; can be made by oxidation of ethylene
• ethylene glycol - from hydration of ethylene oxide or oxidation of ethylene
• engine coolant - contains ethylene glycol
• polyesters - any of several polymers with ester linkages in the backbone chain
• glycol ethers - from condensation of glycols
• ethoxylates
• vinyl acetate
• 1,2-dichloroethane
• trichloroethylene
• tetrachloroethylene - also called perchloroethylene; used as a dry cleaning solvent and degreaser
• vinyl chloride - monomer for polyvinyl chloride
• polyvinyl chloride (PVC) - type of plastic used for piping, tubing, other things
• propylene - used as a monomer and a chemical feedstock
• isopropyl alcohol - 2-propanol; often used as a solvent or rubbing alcohol
• acrylonitrile - useful as a monomer in forming Orlon, ABS
• polypropylene - polymerized propylene
• propylene oxide
• propylene glycol - sometimes used in engine coolant
• glycol ethers - from condensation of glycols
• isomers of butylene - useful as monomers or co-monomers
• isobutylene - feed for making methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE) or monomer for copolymerization with a low percentage of isoprene to make butyl rubber
• 1,3-butadiene - a diene often used as a monomer or co-monomer for polymerization to elastomers such as polybutadiene or a plastic such as acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS)
• synthetic rubbers - synthetic elastomers made of any one or more of several petrochemical (usually) monomers such as 1,3-butadiene, styrene, isobutylene, isoprene, chloroprene; elastomeric polymers are often made with a high percentage of conjugated diene monomers such as 1,3-butadiene, isoprene, or chloroprene
• higher olefins
• polyolefins such poly-alpha-olefins which are used as lubricants
• alpha-olefins - used as monomers, co-monomers, and other chemical precursors. For example, a small amount of 1-hexene can be copolymerized with ethylene into a more flexible form of polyethylene.
• other higher olefins
• detergent alcohols
• acrylic acid
• acrylic polymers
• allyl chloride -
• epichlorohydrin - chloro-oxirane; used in epoxy resin formation
• epoxy resins - a type of polymerizing glue from bisphenol A, epichlorohydrin, and some amine

• benzene - the simplest aromatic hydrocarbon
• ethylbenzene - made from benzene and ethylene
• styrene made by dehydrogenation of ethylbenzene; used as a monomer
• polystyrenes - polymers with styrene as a monomer
• cumene - isopropylbenzene; a feedstock in the cumene process
• phenol - hydroxybenzene; often made by the cumene process
• acetone - dimethyl ketone; also often made by the cumene process
• bisphenol A - a type of "double" phenol used in polymerization in epoxy resins and making a common type of polycarbonate
• epoxy resins - a type of polymerizing glue from bisphenol A, epichlorohydrin, and some amine
• polycarbonate - a plastic polymer made from bisphenol A and phosgene (carbonyl dichloride)
• solvents - liquids used for dissolving materials; examples often made from petrochemicals include ethanol, isopropyl alcohol, acetone, benzene, toluene, xylenes
• cyclohexane - a 6-carbon aliphatic cyclic hydrocarbon sometimes used as a non-polar solvent
• adipic acid - a 6-carbon dicarboxylic acid which can be a precursor used as a co-monomer together with a diamine to form an alternating copolymer form of nylon.
• nylons - types of polyamides, some are alternating copolymers formed from copolymerizing dicarboxylic acid or derivatives with diamines
• caprolactam - a 6-carbon cyclic amide
• nylons - types of polyamides, some are from polymerizing caprolactam
• nitrobenzene - can be made by single nitration of benzene
• aniline - aminobenzene
• methylene diphenyl diisocyanate (MDI) - used as a co-monomer with diols or polyols to form polyurethanes or with di- or polyamines to form polyureas
• polyurethanes
• alkylbenzene - a general type of aromatic hydrocarbon which can be used as a presursor for a sulfonate surfactant (detergent)
• detergents - often include surfactants types such as alkylbenzenesulfonates and nonylphenol ethoxylates
• chlorobenzene
• toluene - methylbenzene; can be a solvent or precursor for other chemicals
• benzene
• toluene diisocyanate (TDI) - used as co-monomers with diols or polyols to form polyurethanes or with di- or polyamines to form polyureas
• polyurethanes - a polymer formed from diisocyanates and diols or polyols
• benzoic acid - carboxybenzene
• caprolactam
• nylon
• mixed xylenes - any of three dimethylbenzene isomers, could be a solvent but more often precursor chemicals
• ortho-xylene - both methyl groups can be oxidized to form (ortho-)phthalic acid
• phthalic anhydride
• para-xylene - both methyl groups can be oxidized to form terephthalic acid
• dimethyl terephthalate - can be copolymerized to form certain polyesters
• polyesters - although there can be many types, polyethylene terephthalate is made from petrochemical products and is very widely used.
• purified terephthalic acid - often copolymerized to form polyethylene terephthalate
• polyesters