Chemical manufacture is very important to modern day life. Manufactured chemicals will be present in almost every product that you will use today: from your toothpaste to your nylon jacket, your ballpoint pen to your mobile phone; manufactured chemicals have truly infiltrated our lives. This article is all about the Chemical Industry: a term used to describe the companies who manufacture and process the chemicals that constitute the products that we use.photo of a young female scientist
What is the Chemical Industry?
Companies within the Chemical Industry convert raw materials such as oil, metals and minerals into products. Chemicals have been used and processed throughout history but large scale manufacture of chemicals only began in earnest during the industrial revolution. Many professionals, including but not limited to chemical engineers, chemists, and laboratory technicians, work in the chemical industry.
What does the chemical industry produce? There are three main types of chemicals that
industries can produce: fine chemicals, bulk chemicals, and specialty chemicals. Bulk chemicals are chemicals that are produced on a very large scale. A trade chemical is a type of bulk chemical that is produced to meet the needs of the global market. The chemical industry produces a variety of chemicals and products, including polymers, petrochemicals, and fertilizers. Chemical plants have very large containers where chemicals are produced and processed. Photo Shipping Container Fine chemicals are complex fine chemicals that are produced in small quantities and sold at high prices. They are made to specific specifications and then used in different chemical processes to make products. Fine chemicals are often produced through organic synthesis. Organic synthesis is a series of chemical reactions performed in a laboratory that uses carbon-based chemicals to create molecules or compounds.
Fine chemicals can also be obtained through biotechnology processes. This is because living organisms are used to produce chemicals. Fine chemicals are often used as starting materials for the production of other chemicals. Specialty chemicals are types of chemicals that are produced on a relatively small scale in a batch process. Specialty chemicals are used to manufacture products for various fields. Types of speciality chemicals include, adhesives, cosmetic additives, flavours, fragrances, elastomers and lubricants. Speciality chemicals are a key export of the UK which contains many speciality chemicals companies, especially in the Northeast of England.
Challenges faced by the hemicals industry
an industrial plantThe Chemical Industry is faced with many challenges. Some of these challenges arise due to the hazardous nature of the chemicals that are being used. Hazardous chemicals must be handled carefully and disposed of in a particular way to ensure that they do not cause damage to the environment or to people. Another challenge faced by the chemicals industry, is the risks associated with manufacturing chemicals. Conditions within reactor vessels must be constantly monitored and controlled by plant operatives and chemical engineers. Accidents and disasters can happen which is why chemical manufacture is heavily monitored and regulated by bodies such as the Health and Safety Executive, in the UK. The proper disposal of chemical waste is another aspect of chemical manufacturing which must be monitored to ensure that harmful waste is not released into the environment.
Laboratory and Plant Safety
Two workers in hard hatsEnsuring the safety of professionals making chemicals is an important consideration for the Chemical Industry
Alkylation is an important chemical reaction that is used to transfer an alkyl group from one molecule to another. The conversion of low molecular weight compounds such as isobutane into high octane gasoline compound is an example of alkylation. The process is usually carried out in the presence of acid catalysts such as hydrogen fluoride (HF). HF is corrosive and toxic and therefore poses a huge risk to scientists handling the compound in laboratories and to plant operatives who help to carry out the reaction on a large scale. In an attempt to mitigate the risk of using HF during alkylation scientists have carried research out seeking to find a safer alternative catalyst for the reaction. Scientists have found that solid catalysts effectively replace traditional HF catalysts. The use of solid catalysts during alkylation is advantageous because the risks associated with the use of HF, such as acid spillage, no longer exist. Therefore, the reaction can be performed more safely.
Environmental Issues Related to Chemical Production
An example of a horrific environmental catastrophe associated with the chemical industry is the red mud catastrophe that occurred in Hungary in October 2010. This caused the release of toxic advection that moved downstream towards the fields and cities. The advection has a height of 2 m and an area of 40 km2. The water from the dam became toxic and alkaline due to sewage discharge from a nearby bauxite plant called Ajka Aluminum Works. Factories are not well regulated, so trash should not be dumped in tanks. The impact of the disaster was literally enormous.
One million cubic meters of waste flowed from the dam and affected seven settlements. Unfortunately, about 7,000 people were injured in this accident. Nine people were killed and 120 people were injured. Fish and wild animals were also killed. Another consequence of advection was topsoil contamination of nearby agricultural areas. Firefighters spray water on a big fire. Hungary's red mud disaster teaches us the importance of proper regulation on companies that produce, process and use chemicals. Without clear rules for disposing of chemical waste, people are exposed to unnecessary risks. Chemical disasters still happen today. Notable recent disasters include the Kamituga gold mine landslide in the Democratic Republic of Congo and the 2020 Ahmedabad explosion that killed 12 people. A recent trend in some chemical disasters is that they all occur in developing countries. This may be because occupational health and safety regulations do not exist or are not as strict as in developed countries.
Conclusion
To conclude, the role of the Chemical Industry is to manufacture chemicals for various uses. There are three main types of chemicals that can be manufactured: bulk, fine and speciality. Different types of chemicals are used for varying purposes. Carrying out certain chemical reactions can be unsafe due to the materials that are used, as in the reaction of alkylation, but research can be carried out to find alternative chemicals allowing professionals to be at a lower risk when carrying out their jobs. Chemical manufacture must be regulated and monitored as poor regulation can cause major environmental catastrophes such as the Hungary Red Mud Disaster.
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