“…While aromatic feedstocks are used to produce a substantial portion of petrochemicals (plastics, paints, adhesives, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, textiles, epoxy resins, and rubber goods) 9 , the vast majority of petroleum is used to generate energy; in fact, petroleum serves as the United States' largest energy source. 10 Only about 5% of petroleum is used as feedstock for petrochemicals. 11 Given the global depletion of petroleum resources, a rational decision would be to conserve these hydrocarbons for the manufacture of petrochemical products in lieu of burning them for fuel.…”