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Introduction
Chemical industries
Introduction
Chemical Industries
Chemical industries refer to sectors of the economy involved in the production,
processing, and distribution of chemicals and chemical products.

The chemical industry contributes to nearly all manufactured products.

The chemical industry converts petroleum and natural gas into intermediate
materials, which are ultimately converted into products that are used and
consumed on a daily basis.

With over 20 million people employed and annual sales of USD 5 trillion, the
global chemical industry serves as the backbone of many end-market industries
such as agriculture, automotive, construction and pharmaceuticals.

The chemical industry is considered the backbone of manufacturing and the

supplier of inputs to all major industries.

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Production of Basic Chemicals: This includes the
manufacture of large-volume chemicals like acids, alkalis,
salts, industrial gases, and organic chemicals. These are often
raw materials for other industries.

Specialty Chemicals: These are produced in smaller

quantities and are designed for specific applications.
Examples include adhesives, catalysts, and ingredients for
pharmaceuticals or cosmetics.

Consumer Chemicals: Products intended for direct consumer

use, such as detergents, soaps, cosmetics, and household
cleaners.

Agricultural Chemicals: Including fertilizers, pesticides,

herbicides, and other agrochemicals used to enhance crop
production. 3
Polymers and Plastics: The chemical industry is pivotal in
creating various types of polymers and plastics used in
packaging, textiles, electronics, automotive parts, etc.

Fine Chemicals: High purity chemicals used for specialized

applications, often in pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, and
materials science.

Petrochemicals: Chemicals derived from petroleum and

natural gas, forming the backbone for many other chemical
products like plastics, synthetic rubber, and fabrics.

Environmental and Safety Products: This includes

chemicals for water treatment, air purification, and safety
equipment like fire retardants.
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The chemical industries are characterized by:

Innovation and R&D: Continuous research to develop new products, improve

existing ones, and find environmentally sustainable solutions.

Regulation: Due to the potential environmental impact and health risks associated
with chemicals, this sector is heavily regulated, requiring adherence to safety,
environmental, and health standards.

Global Supply Chains: Many chemical companies operate globally, with complex
supply chains to source raw materials and distribute products worldwide.

Technological Advancements: Use of automation, AI, and advanced

manufacturing techniques to increase efficiency and safety.

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Environmental Considerations: Increasing focus on
sustainable practices, reducing waste, and
managing emissions.

The chemical industry plays a critical role in

numerous other sectors of the economy,
influencing everything from agriculture to
healthcare, from construction to electronics,
making it a foundational part of modern industrial
society.

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Logical assembly of unit operation/rationally
interconnected unit operation aimed at
transforming/converting raw materials and other input
into useful marketable product.
Each chemical process can be broken down into a
series of steps known as unit operation

Raw materials and

Other inputs U.O U.O U.O Marketable/useful
A B C product
In process industries, a unit operation refers to a distinct step or
stage in a production process where a physical or chemical
change occurs

These operations are typically characterized by specific inputs,

transformations, and outputs, and they are often repeated in
various combinations to achieve the desired final product

Unit operations are fundamental building blocks in chemical

engineering and are used in a wide range of industries, including
petroleum refining, pharmaceuticals, food and beverage
production, and many others

Each unit operation typically focuses on a specific aspect of the

production process, such as mixing, separation, reaction, heat
transfer, or size reduction
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Examples of unit operations include distillation, filtration,
crystallization, evaporation, drying, extraction, and many
more. These operations can be combined in sequence or
parallel to create complex production processes tailored to
the requirements of the desired product.

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These logically interconnected unit operations , individually as
well as collectively are capable of transforming or bringing
changes in chemical composition and physical states of raw
materials into useful and marketable products.
How are we going to represent this unit operation

Using flow diagram

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The flow diagram represents group unit operations a typical
processing industry and the specific unit operation content of each
group in their respective processing step

Recycle
system
1. Raw material storage:
Raw materials have to be stored for days or weeks and even for
months to avoid production interruptions so that the plant operates
sustainably
The storage requirement depends on:
 The nature of the raw materials,
 The method of delivery
 What assurance can be placed on the continuity of supply
2. Raw material preparation
Is necessary to make the feed sufficiently pure and are in the right
form to be fed to the Physical & Chemical Material Transformation
unit operations.
Feed contaminants that can poison process catalysts, enzymes, or
micro-organisms must be removed. Solid materials may need
crushing, grinding, and screening while Liquid feeds need to be
vaporized before being fed to gas-phase reactors .
3. Material Transformation unit operations
Is the heart of a chemical manufacturing process. The raw
materials are brought together under conditions that promote the
production of the desired product both at the physical
transformation unit or the reactor. Byproducts will also be
formed during the Physical and chemical process by side
reactions or from reactions of impurities present in the feed
4. Product separation:
The products and byproducts are separated from any unreacted
inputs and undesirable side products after the Material
Transformation units. In certain processes repetitive or multiple
steps could be required, each followed by one or more separation
steps. If the unreacted inputs are in sufficient quantity, it will be
recycled back to Material Transformation units or to the raw
material purification and preparation stage. The byproducts should
be also separated from the products at this stage.
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5. Product Purification
The main product will often need purification before sale to meet
product specifications. Product purification unit operations must
produce fine products that satisfy specs. and other parameters as
required by market, product standards.
6. Product storage
Finished product must be held to match production with sales or
to store unsold products. Products must be packed and stored
depending on the nature of the product.
7. By product storage
By products require storage.
8. Waste treatment plant
Wastes generated particularly from raw material preparation,
Product separation and Product Purification units must be
treated before it is discharged into the environment.