Acrylonitrile is the basic ingredient in many plastic products, including acrylic fibers and computer housings. But exactly how it forms from a catalyic reaction of propylene is still not fully understood, almost 50 years after the process was invented. For a fresh perspective, British Petroleum researchers study simulations such as this one, prepared by Accelrys, of the dissociation of methane molecules, a smaller and simpler cousin of propylene.