The chemical industry

1. Chapter 18 Summary The chemical industry

2. Our Local Industry • In Melbourne, the chemical industry has a demand for rubber, plastics and packaging. • Other local products include: Cosmetics, detergents, paints, pesticides, fertilizers and explosives • The chemical Industry in Australia turns over an estimated $3 Billion US a year! • Thus forms a vital part of our own economy. – we are actually placed 20th in the world as a chemical exporter.

3. Employment • It is estimated well over 40 000 Australians work directly within the chemical industry • That is one in ten of us. One in this class room …? • If we include the petrol and metal mining employers also in the country  the chemical industry would be the largest manufacturing sector.

4. Skills & Qualifications • Chemical engineers Supervise the running of a plant Solve problems that arise with production Develop modifications • Analytical chemist  Would be in charge of quality control Analyses raw materials, products and any emissions • Research chemist  Designs new processes and materials Develops new analytical technologies

5. End Products • Most of the chemicals produced in this industry are not well known or appreciated because the consumer only see’s the final product often packaged and from pharmaceutical companies, agriculture and in textiles. • It is the chemical industry that converts minerals, gases and plant material into the useful and profitable products that are widely used in many other industries.

6. How the chemicals can be used • The top 10 chemicals produced by the US include; • Sulfuric acid, followed between, ammonia, propane, chlorine and sodium carbonate. • NaOH, is used to make all of the following final products; • Soap, cosmetics, bleach, paper, cellophane, dye, engraving supplies, and is used in peeling fruit and vegetables.

7. Profit • For a chemical plant to be profitable it must: • Operate effectively • Make and market a successful product • Bring sufficient return for investors • Be responsible for managing possible hazards that may pose a threat for both employees and the environment

8. Building of new plants • For a plant to be built; there must be a promise of maximized product at a minimal cost. We have seen that the extent of a reaction is dependant on temperature and can be influenced by volume and concentration. Thus conditions in a plant must be carefully selected. Generally two categories are desirable: -a fast reaction rate -a high % yield (a high K value) Plants often have to compromise however as both are not always achievable when aiming to control a certain reaction.

9. Batch vs. Continuous Processing • To control reactions there are two methods that can be used: • Batch processing: A fixed amount of reactant give a fixed amount of product. Used in one off, small productions of chemical quantities. • Continuous processing: Reactants are mixed in continuously, ensuring a constant supply of products. Better option for plants where stopping involves cost, there needs to be a high demand for the large amount of product. • More control is accessible with continuous processing.

10. Other factors to consider • Cost • To lower costs, industrial chemists may choose a cheaper catalyst, and avoid use of high pressurized vessels (they are expensive to build, run and maintain). Also safety and approved waste disposal often costs more. • Energy • Gas is not cheap when running on such a large scale. Some plants utilize any thermal energy produced to run electrical generators in another sector of the same plant. • Location • To be profitable a plant needs to have ready access you markets, supplies and the consumer. Thus they are often close to other processing plants. In Melbourne our chemical manufactures are generally located in the Footscray and Altona areas.

11. Safety OHS in the workplace – regulations are strictly monitored by various agencies and bodies. • Dangerous goods – is defined as anything that provides immediate danger to people, property or the environment. • (Can be NH3, HCl, petrol) • Different substance are dangerous depending on the degree of exposure. Illness that results can range from headaches and nausea to birth defects and permanent organ damage.

13. Risk Assessments • Risk assessments can be done on any person’s lifestyle, at their work center or in school’s. In our labs we use MSDS (short for…?) to assess the risk of every experiment that is run. These are valid for up to 5 years, and both the reactants and products risk must be assessed. • LD50 is the concentration that refers to the “lethal dose” – the amount that killed 50% of the group that was exposed & tested.

15. Waste • Are unwanted or unvalued substance that discarded. • Can be soils, solids, liquids, aqueous waste, sludge, spills, products past their use by, toxic, radioactive or may be contaminated by a disease causing agent. • Some wastes provide no hazard, some will only be able to be evaluated from their long term effect.

16. Benzene – can be produced by cars running on unleaded petrol. PCB & DDT take a long time to break down (are called bioaccumulative).

17. Waste Disposal • Wastes can easily cross state and continent boundaries. Locally the EPA resides over appropriate home and medical waste disposal. For the industry there is a large amount of waste removal research being carried out. HTI (High Temperature Incinerator) works over 1100℃ in conjunction with wet filtering to turn large amount of industrial waste into organic compounds (such as carbon dioxide, water, sulfur and phosphorous). • Ideally, all governments within the southern hemisphere and internationally should be following the principles of Green Chemistry:

19. Now, for consolidation! • Please attempt to finish the essential Chapter 18 Heninemann questions. • Chapter 18: • 3, 4, 5, 9, 10b, 15, 18, 20-23, 27, 29, 30, 32 a & b, 34 & 35 • Homework for the weekend: Finish Chapters 15-18. Worksheet 29. • Read ahead to Chapter 21.