Naphtha
The light petroleum distillate supplied by Chelora Chemicals — the primary feedstock for steam cracking into ethylene, propylene and BTX aromatics — exported from Indonesia in bulk parcels and ISO tanks with full batch documentation on every shipment.
What Naphtha is, and why buyers source it
A working overview of naphtha's composition, its role as the primary petrochemical cracker feedstock, and the grades Chelora Chemicals keeps in regular supply.
Naphtha is not a single compound but a defined boiling-range cut of crude-oil distillation, typically spanning roughly C5 to C10 hydrocarbons and boiling between about 30 and 200 °C. Its exact composition — the split between straight- and branched-chain paraffins, cyclic naphthenes and aromatics — is what determines whether a given parcel is suited to steam cracking, reforming, or blending, and is specified and certified cargo by cargo.
At room temperature it is a colourless to pale-yellow, highly flammable liquid with a characteristic petroleum odour, immiscible with water and miscible with most other hydrocarbons. It requires standard flammable-liquid bulk storage and transport, typically in dedicated tankage, ISO tanks or parcel-tanker cargo, with the usual vapour-control and ignition-source precautions for a light petroleum distillate.
Where it fits in the synthesis chain
Light and full-range naphtha's largest use by far is as the feedstock for steam cracking, where it is thermally cracked at high temperature to produce the primary petrochemical building blocks ethylene, propylene, and BTX aromatics (benzene, toluene, xylenes) together with other cracked-gas co-products. A separate naphtha cut is also catalytically reformed into high-octane gasoline blending components and additional BTX aromatics.
Grades we supply
Chelora Chemicals offers light and full-range cracker-grade Naphtha with a specified paraffin/naphthene/aromatic composition and low sulfur content suited to olefin steam cracking, supplied with a batch-wise certificate of analysis covering distillation range, composition and sulfur content.
How Naphtha is made
An overview of the production route for orientation purposes. Our manufacturing partners' own process parameters and in-process controls are proprietary and are not disclosed beyond what is needed to interpret the certificate of analysis.
Naphtha is produced by the atmospheric distillation of crude oil, where the light and full-range naphtha fractions are drawn as side-cuts boiling between roughly 30 and 200 °C, below kerosene and above LPG/light gases. It can also be produced as a condensate recovered from natural-gas processing or as a hydrotreated product from catalytic reforming and hydrocracking units.
Why distillation cuts, not a single reaction, define naphtha
Because naphtha is defined by its boiling range rather than by a single chemical reaction, refiners blend and certify each parcel against a target distillation curve and PONA (paraffin/naphthene/aromatic) composition to match what a particular steam cracker or reformer downstream is configured to process.
Industries and processes that use it
Naphtha is consumed almost entirely by the petrochemical and refining industry as a cracking and reforming feedstock. The fields below account for most of the demand we see through our export desk.
Steam Cracking to Olefins
Thermally cracked at high temperature in a steam cracker to produce ethylene, propylene and other light olefins, the primary building blocks of the petrochemical industry.
Catalytic Reforming to BTX Aromatics
Catalytically reformed to produce benzene, toluene and xylenes (BTX), the aromatic building blocks for polystyrene, PET, nylon and polyurethane chains.
Gasoline Blending
Reformed naphtha is a high-octane gasoline blending component, one of the refinery's core transportation-fuel streams.
Solvent & Diluent Naphtha
Lighter, narrower-cut naphthas are used as industrial solvents, paint thinners and diluents for bitumen and other heavy process streams.
How the molecule is typically carried forward
Because naphtha is a hydrocarbon mixture rather than a single compound, its downstream chemistry is driven by high-temperature cracking and reforming processes rather than a classical organic reaction at a single functional group. The processes below account for most of how Naphtha is converted into finished petrochemical products.
Steam Cracking
Naphtha vapour is thermally cracked at around 800–900 °C in the presence of steam, breaking the hydrocarbon chains into ethylene, propylene, butadiene and pyrolysis gasoline.
Catalytic Reforming
Naphtha is passed over a platinum-based catalyst at elevated temperature and pressure to convert paraffins and naphthenes into aromatic BTX compounds and hydrogen.
Hydrotreating
Naphtha is hydrotreated to remove sulfur, nitrogen and other catalyst poisons before it is fed to a steam cracker or reformer.
Atmospheric Distillation (Upstream)
Crude oil is separated by boiling point in the atmospheric distillation column, with the naphtha fraction drawn as a defined side-cut.
Naphtha against other amines we supply
Buyers sourcing Naphtha for steam cracking or reforming often also need other refinery feedstocks or the downstream aromatics and olefins it produces. A quick reference to what else is on our regular supply list.
| Product | CAS Number | Category | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Naphtha | 8030-30-6 | Light distillate cracker feedstock | The product on this page — the primary feedstock for steam cracking and reforming. |
| LPG (Propane / Butane) | 68476-85-7 | Liquefied petroleum gas feedstock | A lighter petroleum-gas feedstock often cracked alongside naphtha — see its product page. |
| Toluene | 108-88-3 | BTX aromatic | A reformate aromatic produced from naphtha reforming — see its product page. |
| Mixed Xylenes | 1330-20-7 | BTX aromatic | Another reformate aromatic produced from naphtha reforming — see its product page. |
Exact physical constants and purity specifications are confirmed per batch on the certificate of analysis — treat the notes above as a sourcing guide, not a specification sheet, for products other than Naphtha.
Safety classification at a glance
Based on GHS classification as commonly listed for this substance. This is a summary for orientation only — always work from the current safety data sheet supplied with your specific batch.
Highly flammable liquid and vapour.
May be fatal if swallowed and enters airways.
Causes skin irritation.
May cause drowsiness or dizziness.
Chemical-resistant gloves, splash goggles and vapour-control respiratory protection are mandatory for routine bulk handling.
Keep away from heat, sparks and open flame; ground and bond containers and use vapour-recovery during bulk transfer.
Never siphon, pipette or otherwise risk aspiration of this liquid into the lungs.
Danger — GHS02 flammable, GHS08 aspiration-hazard and GHS07 irritant pictograms apply.
This material is a highly flammable liquid that may be fatal if swallowed and enters the airways, causes skin irritation, and may cause drowsiness or dizziness at high vapour concentrations. It must be handled only with chemical-resistant gloves, splash-proof eye protection, vapour-control respiratory protection, and strict ignition-source control during bulk transfer. Full first-aid, storage, spill and PPE guidance is in the MSDS issued with every shipment, and must be read in full and followed without exception before this material is handled.
Keeping it on spec between delivery and use
General storage guidance for this grade. Site-specific storage rules, segregation requirements and re-test intervals should follow your own EHS procedures and the MSDS issued with your batch.
Store in dedicated, well-ventilated bulk tankage away from heat sources, sparks, open flame and strong oxidizing agents, with appropriate vapour-recovery and fire-protection systems as required for a bulk flammable liquid. Only trained personnel following standard petroleum bulk-handling procedures should load, store or transfer this material. If a parcel is held for an extended period, re-check distillation range and composition before use.
How it ships from Indonesia
Standard packing and export terms for this product. Confirm exact figures against your order — they vary slightly by destination and quantity.
What travels with every batch
Specification is agreed before the purchase order, not discovered on arrival. Every shipment of Naphtha leaves with a documented, checkable paper trail.
Certificate of Analysis
Batch-wise assay (by titration/GC), colour and relevant physical constants, issued against the agreed specification so your QC team can check it, not just file it.
Safety Data Sheet
GHS-format SDS in English covering hazard classification, handling, storage, first-aid and spill response for the exact grade of Naphtha shipped.
Technical Data Sheet
Reference physical and chemical properties, recommended storage and typical applications, for internal circulation to your process or R&D teams.
Certificate of Origin
Confirms Indonesian origin for customs clearance and any preferential-duty claim at your destination port.
Dangerous Goods Declaration
UN packing group, classification and shipper's declaration prepared ahead of loading so documentation never holds up customs.
Third-Party Inspection
Independent pre-shipment inspection and re-sampling can be arranged on request, at your cost, for buyers who require it as a matter of policy.
Frequently asked questions
What buyers most often ask our sales desk about this grade.
01What is Naphtha used for?+
02What is the CAS number of Naphtha?+
03How is Naphtha made?+
04What grade does Chelora Chemicals supply?+
05Why does Naphtha composition matter so much to buyers?+
06Is Naphtha hazardous?+
07What packing options are available?+
08How long does delivery take?+
09Can I get a sample before placing a bulk order?+
10Do you supply LPG and BTX aromatics as well?+
Need Naphtha on spec, on time?
Send us your required purity, quantity, packing preference and destination port. Our desk quotes most enquiries within one working day.