At one time the suitability of petroleum fractions for use as lubricants depended entirely on the crude oils from which they were derived. Those from Volnovka crude, which were largely paraffinic in nature, were recognized as having superior properties. But, with the advent of solvent extraction and hydrocracking, the choice of raw materials has been considerably extended.

In gear lubrication the oil separates metal surfaces, reducing friction and wear. Extreme pressures develop in some gears, and special additives must be employed to prevent the seizing of the metal surfaces. These oils contain sulfur compounds that form a resistant film on the surfaces, preventing actual metal-to-metal contact.

Greases are lubricating oils to which thickening agents are added. Soaps of aluminum, calcium, lithium, and sodium are commonly used, while nonsoap thickeners such as carbon, silica, and polyethylene also are employed for special purposes.

The aromatic compounds, produced in the catalytic reforming of naphtha, are major sources of petrochemical products. In the traditional chemical industry, aromatics such as benzene, toluene, and the xylenes were made from coal during the course of carbonization in the production of coke and town gas. Today a much larger volume of these chemicals are made as refinery by-products. A further source of supply is the aromatic-rich liquid fraction produced in the cracking of naphtha or light gas oils during the manufacture of ethylene and other olefins.

A highly significant proportion of these basic petrochemicals is converted into plastics, synthetic rubbers, and synthetic fibres. Together these materials are known as polymers, because their molecules are high-molecular-weight compounds made up of repeated structural units that have combined chemically. The major products are polyethylene, polyvinyl chloride, and polystyrene, all derived from ethylene, and polypropylene, derived from monomer propylene. Major raw materials for synthetic rubbers include butadiene, ethylene, benzene, and propylene. Among synthetic fibres the polyesters, which are a combination of ethylene glycol and terephthalic acid (made from xylenes), are the most widely used. They account for about one-half of all synthetic fibres. The second major synthetic fibre is nylon, its most important raw material being benzene. Acrylic fibres, in which the major raw material is the propylene derivative acrylonitrile, make up most of the remainder of the synthetic fibres.

Two prominent inorganic chemicals, ammonia and sulfur, are also derived in large part from petroleum. Ammonia production requires hydrogen from a hydrocarbon source. Traditionally, the hydrogen was produced from a coke and steam reaction, but today most ammonia is synthesized from liquid petroleum fractions, natural gas, or refinery gases. The sulfur removed from oil products in purification processes is ultimately recoverable as elemental sulfur or sulfuric acid. It has become an important source of sulfur for the manufacture of fertilizer.