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Petroleum, the result of transformations of organic matter over millions of years, is a mixture of a large number of compounds. This crude material has to be refined and separated into valuable products such as transportation fuels, basic organics, and other chemicals. Petroleum-derived products listed under NAICS code 324 include gasoline, jet fuel, kerosene, fuel…

Industries classified under NAICS code 322 are involved in the manufacture of paper products. These industries include pulp mills that convert wood and biomass to pulp and paper mills that consume this pulp to manufacture various types of paper, newsprint, paperboard, and consumer products such as cardboard boxes, paper bags, sanitary paper, and many others. These…

Chemical engineers perform critical roles in many other industries, including those listed in Table 2.1. These industries and their products are described in the following subsections.

Although the majority of chemical products can be classified as industrial products (products used for other industrial processes), a significant fraction of the chemical industry output consists of products used directly by the consumers. These include soaps and detergents, perfume and cosmetics, flavors, pesticides, paints, inks, and so on.

The pharmaceutical sector of the chemical industry involves the manufacture of (1) uncompounded medicinal compounds and (2) pharmaceutical formulations (tablets, ointments, etc.) that can be administered as doses. As with the fertilizer product sector, the significance of this sector goes beyond the mere monetary value to the economy. Pharmaceutical products are generally produced in much…

Polymers are among some of the most useful and valuable products of the chemical industry. In general, polymer products are classified as plastics and resin products or as rubber products. A plastic material is defined as a solid, high-molecular-weight, polymerized organic substance and typically involves liquid-phase manufacturing or processing of the material [2]. Plastic and resin…

Fertilizer industries are vital components of a nation’s economy; however, the significance of fertilizer products cannot be measured merely by the economic value they add. The sustainability of food production is critically dependent on the availability of fertilizers. In that sense, fertilizer production is the most important endeavor of the chemical industry. Fertilizer products utilize the…

Almost all of the organic chemicals produced by the chemical industry are obtained from seven basic chemicals: methane, ethylene, propylene, butadiene, benzene, toluene, and xylene. Methane is the primary constituent of natural gas. Although some minor sources are available for the rest of the basic organic chemicals, they are invariably derived from petroleum, and chemicals…

Except for chlorine, which is considered a basic inorganic chemical, other industrially significant gases have their own distinct category. The most important of industrial gases are oxygen, nitrogen, hydrogen, and carbon dioxide. Oxygen and nitrogen are obtained from air primarily through cryogenic liquefaction and distillation. The use of nitrogen (and of hydrogen) is dominated by ammonia…

Chemicals produced in bulk quantities and used primarily in subsequent industrial processes are termed as basic chemicals. Basic inorganic chemicals are, as the name indicates, non-carbon-based compounds, though carbon dioxide and inorganic carbonates are included under this category. Nearly 40% of the top 50 chemicals are basic inorganic chemicals [1]. Typically, seven of the top 10…