Chemistry is the basic science which is the backbone of chemical industries. Chemistry plays an important role in the manufacturer of a large number of products. Only a very small portion of this production is covered under industrial chemistry. The industries which produce aluminum, steel etc. are not considered to be chemical industries even though in the production of these materials chemical transformations and chemical processing are involved. This shows that the term chemical industry is vague. So, let's see about - Modern Approach to Chemical Industry.
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| Chemical Industry |
Chemistry industry differs from other industries in certain aspects. Chemical industry deals with the manufacture of products from raw materials through physical and chemical changes along with some allied products.
In this respect chemical industry differs from other industries, which are mainly assembly industries. Chemical industries provide us many valuable products without which life would be difficult. Some of them are- sugar, drugs, synthetic fibres, plastic, rubber, soaps, detergents, cosmetics, dyes, paints, pharmaceuticals, paper, kerosene, petrol, cooking gas, fertilizers, pesticides or insecticide etc.
During the last 20 years has been a rapid growth of chemical industry. The capacity utilization of the chemical industry has increased to a very great extent. In recent years industries of petrochemicals, synthetic fibres, plastics and pharmaceuticals have been shown maximum growth rate. Recently Government has declared its policy to encourage chemical industries.
Basic Requirements of Chemical Industries:
A) Chemical production:
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| Chemical production |
Chemical industries happen to be just a fraction of the total set up of all the industries in a country. Relationship growth rates are conveniently compared by production indices that are based on the total production of all industries with reference to a particular year.
Manufacture of chemical products requires raw materials and it involves various operations and processes. In order to get maximum yield, the chemical process is designed in a particular way. The raw materials are given physical treatment involving unit operations such as fluid flow, heat transfer, mixing, filtration, solvent extraction.
B) Raw materials:
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| Raw Materials |
Any substance or a chemical which can be processed to produce the desired product is called the raw material. Raw materials may be naturally occurring or they may be naturally occurring or they may be end products of certain other industry. Thus there are various different sources for getting the raw materials required for different chemical products.
C) Unit processes:
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| Unit process |
Chemical production is a function of chemical and physical changes. Unit process is described as, 'the commercialization of a chemical reaction under such conditions which prove to be economically profitable.
A unit process principally deals with chemical reactions involving chemical changes in the material. These changes are controlled by a number of variables such as temperature, pressure, concentration, reaction time and space velocity. The concept of unit process can be used in controlling chemical reactions which are used in chemical industries. Some important unit processes involved in chemical synthesis are :
1) Condensation
2) Cyclisation
3) Combustion
4) cracking, pyrolysis
5) Dehydrogenation
6) Dehydration
7) Electrolysis
8) Esterification
9) Hydrolysis
10) Halogenation
11) Nitration.
D) Unit Operations:
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Unit Operations |
The operations carried out for designing a process involves an engineers work with a specific purpose and with the help of a special type of equipment used in a chemical reaction is called a unit operations. Thus, unit operations are designed to carry out a stage in a unit process.
The raw material in every chemical process has to undergo several physical changes before and after a chemical change. The unit operation uses the same principle in similar type of chemical processes. Unit operations commonly used in chemical processing industries are :
1) Absorption
2) Crystallization
3) Dissolution
4) Evaporation
5) Evaporation
6) fluid dynamics
7) mixing
8) Centrifugation
9) heat transfer
10) material handling
11) solvent extraction
12) Filtration
13) distillation and sublimation
14) Screening or sieving
15) sendimentation.
Several unit processes and u it operations can be combined in a scheme. Sometimes the same equipment can be used for different unit processes.
E) Quality control:
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| Quality control |
Quality control is a system of routine technical activities, to measures and control the quality of the inventory as it is being developed. Quality system is aimed to:
(a) Furnish routine and uniform checks to ensure data fairness, correctness and completeness.
(b) Print out and address errors and omissions.
(c) Document and office record material and account of all QC activities.
QC activities include general methods such as accuracy checks on data accession and calculations and the use of sanctioned standardised procedures for emission calculations, measurements, estimating uncertainties and reporting. Higher level QC activities include technical reviews of source categories and methods.
Quality control is of immense importance in any chemical process industry. It is the integral part of the chemical production and involves the analysis or testing of the raw materials and the finished products for their standard specifications. In most of the chemical industries, the products of one industry are used as raw materials for another chemical industry. Such products are called intermediates. In high-tech industries, such as pharmaceutical, semiconductor and microschip industries purity of the raw material as well as the product is of utmost importance.
Different industries require different quality and purity of compounds. The use of sophisticated instruments, skilled labour and automisation can maintain the quality of the product. Quality control can also be effected by testing the properties such as melting point, boiling point, refractive index, colour, odour,tensile strength etc.
F) Quality Assurance:
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| Quality Assurance |
The activities which include a planned system of review measures governed by personel not directly involved in the inventory compilation / development process is called quality assurance.
A QA/QC programme contributes to the goal of good practice guidance, viz., to improve transparency (clarity), consistency (uniformity), comparability, completeness and confidence in national inventories of emissions estimates.
Before performing QA/QC activities, it is essential to determine which techniques should be used, and where and when they will be employed.
G) Process Control:
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| Process control |
The control of variables such as temperature, concentration, pressure, time, flow rate of reactant etc. for getting the desired product in an economic way is called process control. A strict control at every step in a scheme is necessary for obtaining a product of high standard or purity. Process control is frequently tied up with the quality control during production. Thus chemical analysis of incoming raw material and outgoing products forms an integral part of the process.
The process control involves three steps-
1) Analysis of incoming raw material.
2) Analysis of intermediate products during manufa manufacturing.
3) Analysis of the end product.
Almost all raw materials in chemical process industry are tested by chemical methods. It helps to determine the useful part of the raw material and the impurities present in it.
Analysis of intermediate products during manufacturing process is also a part of process control. It involves the testing and analysis of the samples of the reaction mixture from time to time. This helps to decide the completion of a chemical reaction.
In modern chemical plants, process control is achieved through the use of automatic and instrumental methods. Data processing and computing instrument have taken over the running of complex chemical processing. The main function of automisation or instrumentation is to ensure uniform quality of the product.
H) Research and Development: |
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| Research & Development |
The group of words Research and Development as stated by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and development, related to "creative work undertaken on a basic in order to increase the stock of knowledge, including knowledge of man, culture an society and the use of this stock of knowledge to device new applications."
In the chemical process that is rapidly changing must regularly revise their design and procedures. This is essential due constant technology change and development as well as other contestant and the changing option of consumers. Research develops or utilizes these changes. Without research, a company would be left behind in the aggressive progress of its industry.
Development is the modification of research ideas to the genuineness of production and industry. The upgrading of industry opens up latest markets for the most primary, traditional products. The outcome and profit of research may be listed as follows:
1) Up to date and developed processes.
2) Reduced costs and slashed prices of products.
3) Services and products not ever before known.
4) Change of uncommon to common commercial supplies of practical usefulness.
5) Sufficient supply of materials until now obtained only as by-product.
6) Freedom from domination by overseas control.
7) Well-balanced business and industrial employment.
8) Products of improved excellence.
R and D has a remarkable economic sense apart from its usual association with scientific and technological development. R and D investment usually indicates a governments or institutions readiness to go without current operations or profit to improve future production or profit and it's potential to conduct research and development.
Research often directs to fundamental research; development refers to the exploitation of discoveries. Research involves finding out of possible chemical compounds or theoretical mechanisms. Development is involved with proof of concept, safety testing and determining ideal levels and delivery mechanisms. Development often occurs in phases that are described by drug safety regulators in the country of interest.
In general, R and D activities are handled by professional units or centers belonging to companies, universities and state agencies.
I) Pollution Control:
The protection of environment is a serious problem today. Environment is affected by almost every chemical process industry. There is no adequate awareness about environmental protection in our country.For environmental protection, two important laws have been make-
1) Water pollution law:
This law is made to ensure proper disposal of effluent by private industry, municipality and others.2) Air pollution law:
It is related with maintenance of purity of air. There are currently seven air pollutants recognised- ozone, carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons, sulphur dioxide, oxides of nitrogen, lead and particulates.Cause of pollution:
Pollution may be caused due to (1) Natural reasons- e.g. volcanic eruptions, forest fires etc. (2) Factors concerned with industrial, commercial, agricultural and domestic activities.Choice of Process to control air pollution:
The choice of process depends upon the type of pollutant. A careful study of all aspects of a manufacturing process and contaminants is made before selecting a specific control system. There are two process namely dry process and wet process to remove solid and liquid pollutants respectively.1) Dry process:
It includes devices like settling chambers, electrostatic precipitators, tall chimneys to remove solids.2) Wet process:
It includes open spray tower, wet contrifuge, orifice, wet dynamic etc. to remove liquids.J) Human Resource:
Human resources is a phrase used to express the individuals who consists of the workforce of an organization, even though it is also applied in labour economics to, for example business area or even whole nations. It is also the name of the function within an establishment charged with the complete responsibility for performing plans and policies relating to the management of individuals. This function title is often abbreviated to the initials 'HR'.Human resources is a relatively modern management term. It is originated in 1960's. It is originated in those organisations which introduced welfare management practices and scientific management.
The HR function may set strategies and develop policies, standards, systems and process to execute these schemes in whole range of areas. These areas are:
1. Recruitment and selection.
2.Organizational design and development.
3. Business transformation and change in management.
4. Performance, conduct and behavior management.
5. Industrial and employee relations.
6. Training and development.
Human Resources Development is a combination of training and education. Adam Smith States, "The capacities of individuals depended on their acess of education." HR development is the mean that manages the process between training and learning in a broadly supporting environment.
Human Resources is a framework for the enlargement of human capital within an organization or a municipality, region or nation.
HRD is the structure that allows for individual development, satisfying the organizations, or the nation's goals.
K) Safety Measures:
A safe Suitation is one where risks of injury or properly damage are low and manageable. Safety is often seen as one of a group of related disciplines: quality, reliability, availability, Maintainability and safety.In recent years on account of serious accidents, emphasis has been given on chemical process safety. The image of chemical industry in the eyes of public is very gloomy perhaps because of serious accidents. In many chemical process industries accidents, hazards from combustion and uncontrolled reactions play important role.
In order to avoid such accidents, knowledge of such reactions is necessary for the control of process hazards. Fires can cause severe damage from thermal radiation. Chemical releases from fires and pressure release can form toxic clouds that can be dangerous to people over large areas, Chemical process safety involves both the technical and the management aspects of the chemical industry.
In recent years, the design of chemical plants has received a great deal of attention. For this, competent and experienced people should be made available.
