Naphtha

Naphtha is the C5–C12 hydrocarbon fraction cut from crude oil by atmospheric distillation, boiling between roughly 30 and 200°C. On its own it is a quiet, colourless liquid — but fed into a steam cracker at 800–870°C, in just 0.2–0.4 seconds of pyrolysis it gives birth all at once to five daughters: ethylene, propylene, butadiene, benzene, and p-xylene. A mother and a teacher both: the keeper of the source and the guidance counsellor of the petrochemical academy, deciding with calm judgement which fraction is sent down which path.