Questions about Chemical industry
Short answers, pulled from the story.
What is the chemical industry and what does it produce?
The chemical industry comprises companies and organizations that develop and manufacture industrial, specialty, and other chemicals by converting raw materials, including oil, natural gas, air, water, metals, and minerals, into products for industry and consumers. Its output spans polymers and plastics (roughly 80% of worldwide production), life sciences products such as pharmaceuticals and pesticides, specialty chemicals, and consumer products such as soaps and detergents. Chemicals represent nearly a five-trillion-dollar global enterprise.
When did the modern chemical industry begin?
The birth of the heavy chemical industry coincided with the beginnings of the Industrial Revolution. One of the earliest milestones was Joshua Ward's 1736 process for producing sulfuric acid, followed by the first large-scale sulfuric acid factory built by John Roebuck and Samuel Garbett at Prestonpans, Scotland, in 1749. Charles Tennant's St Rollox Chemical Works near Glasgow, which grew from 52 tons of bleaching powder in 1799 to nearly 10,000 tons five years later, exemplified the speed of industrial growth.
What was the Solvay process and why was it important to the chemical industry?
The Solvay process was a method for producing soda ash developed by Belgian industrial chemist Ernest Solvay in 1861. It proved more economical and less polluting than the Leblanc process it replaced. Ludwig Mond acquired the rights and, with partner John Brunner, built a Solvay plant at Winnington, England; Mond made refinements between 1873 and 1880 that removed byproducts inhibiting sodium carbonate production, making the process a commercial success.
Who invented the first synthetic dye and how did it shape the chemical industry?
William Henry Perkin, working in London, discovered the first synthetic dye when he transformed aniline into a crude mixture that produced an intense purple color when extracted with alcohol. German firms BASF, Bayer, and Hoechst rapidly dominated the field; by 1913, German industries produced almost 90% of the world's dyestuffs and sold approximately 80% of that production abroad. Chemical dye laboratories in late 19th-century Germany are considered the birthplace of modern industrial research and development.
Which countries and regions dominate global chemical production today?
The United States, Europe, and China are the leading producers. In 2008 the United States produced $689 billion of chemicals, representing 18.6% of world output. Europe accounts for 43% of global chemical exports, with Germany, France, the United Kingdom, Italy, and the Netherlands together making up 71% of EU chemical sales. China's growth has been the primary driver of the shift in global market share, accounting for an estimated 95% of the reduction in Europe's share of the world market between 1991 and 2011.
What was the first plastic ever produced and when was it invented?
The first plastic was Parkesine, invented by English metallurgist Alexander Parkes, who patented it in 1856. Parkesine was a celluloid material based on nitrocellulose treated with various solvents. It was exhibited at the 1862 London International Exhibition, where it demonstrated many of the aesthetic and utility properties that modern plastics would later fulfill.