Category: CHEMICAL AND ALLIED INDUSTRIES

Chemical and allied industries play an important role in a nation’s economy and are a major constituent of the manufacturing sector. Although the largest fraction of the output of chemical industry goes as a feedstock to other industries, the industry also produces many consumer products vital to society. The global nature of the chemical industry…

The United States occupies the top position among chemical manufacturers, accounting for nearly one-fifth of the chemicals produced worldwide [5]. The total value of the chemical goods produced in the United States in 2010 was $701 billion, and the chemical manufacturing sector contributed the largest fraction to the U.S. exports. Table 2.4 shows the 2010 production volumes…

Table 2.2 shows the global top 50 chemical companies based on the most recent C&E News data [3]. The top 50 U.S. chemical companies are shown in Table 2.3 [4]. Table 2.2 Global Top 50 Chemical Companies* Table 2.3 Top 50 U.S. Chemical Companies* *Based on data from C&E News [4]. The following important observations can be made regarding the chemical industry…

Apart from these three most closely related industries, chemical engineering principles and operations are also encountered in many other industries and processes, providing employment opportunities to chemical engineers. These industries include ceramic and glass industries, semiconductor industries, food products and processing, energy and nuclear industries, environmental and pollution control undertakings, and many others.

Chemical engineers find employment not only in the industries that manufacture polymers but also in those that convert these polymers into finished products ranging from grocery bags, plastic bottles, and films to tires, hoses and tubing, and rubber belts. These industries are classified under NAICS code 326, unlike the polymer products described in section 2.2.5 that are…

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…