Acrylonitrile

Acrylonitrile (C₃H₃N) is the sharp, versatile strategist — born from propylene and ammonia via the Sohio process and bearing the keen edge of the nitrile group (−C≡N). As parent to ABS resin, NBR rubber, acrylic fiber, and the carbon-fiber precursor PAN, it underwrites a remarkably broad polymer family. A liquid boiling at 77.3°C, it carries a cold shadow — cyanide-related toxicity and IARC Group 2B carcinogenicity.