Meaning & use

propylene

noun·Advanced

A colorless, flammable hydrocarbon gas used mainly to manufacture plastics such as polypropylene.

See it in a sentence

The refinery produces propylene as a byproduct of processing crude oil.

Propylene is combined with other chemicals to make the plastic used in food containers.

A note on using this word

Propylene is also known chemically as propene, and it is a key building block in the plastics industry.

Words with a similar meaning

propene

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