The chemical industry comprises the companies that produce industrial chemicals. It is central to modern world economy, converting raw materials (oil, natural gas, air, water, metals, minerals) into more than 70,000 different products. Polymers and plastics, especially polyethylene, polypropylene, polyvinyl chloride, polyethylene terephthalate, polystyrene and polycarbonate comprise about 80% of the industry’s output worldwide. Chemicals are used to make a wide variety of consumer goods, as well as thousands inputs to agriculture, manufacturing, construction, and service industries. The chemical industry itself consumes 26 percent of its own output. Major industrial customers include rubber and plastic products, textiles, apparel, petroleum refining, pulp and paper, and primary metals. Chemicals is nearly a $2 trillion global enterprise, and the EU and U.S. chemical companies are the world's largest producers. The largest corporate producers worldwide, with plants in numerous countries, are BASF, Dow, Shell, Bayer, INEOS, ExxonMobil, DuPont, and Mitsubishi, along with thousands of smaller firms. This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Polypropylene lid of a Tic Tacs box, with a living hinge and the resin identification code under its flap Micrograph of polypropylene Polypropylene or polypropene (PP) is a thermoplastic polymer, made by the chemical industry and used in a wide variety of applications, including food packaging, ropes, textiles, plastic parts... Polyvinyl chloride Polyvinyl chloride, (IUPAC Polychloroethene) commonly abbreviated PVC, is a widely used thermoplastic polymer. ... Polyethylene terephthalate (aka PET, PETE or the obsolete PETP or PET-P) is a thermoplastic polymer resin of the polyester family and is used in synthetic fibers; beverage, food and other liquid containers; thermoforming applications; and engineering resins often in combination with glass fiber. ... Polystyrene (IPA: ) is a polymer made from the monomer styrene, a liquid hydrocarbon that is commercially manufactured from petroleum by the chemical industry. ... Polycarbonates are a particular group of thermoplastic polyesters. ...

In the U.S. there are 170 major chemical companies. They operate internationally with more than 2,800 facilities outside the U.S. and 1,700 foreign subsidiaries or affiliates operating. The U.S. chemical output is $400 billion a year. The U.S. industry records large trade surpluses and employs more than a million people in the United States alone. The chemical industry is also the second largest consumer of energy in manufacturing and spends over $5 billion annually on pollution abatement.

In Europe, especially Germany, the chemical, plastics and rubber sectors are among the largest industrial sectors. Together they generate about 3.2 million jobs in more than 60,000 companies. Since 2000 the chemical sector alone has represented 2/3 of the entire manufacturing trade surplus of the EU. The chemical sector accounts for 12% of the EU manufacturing industry's added value.

The chemical industry has shown rapid growth for more than fifty years. The fastest growing areas have been in the manufacture of synthetic organic polymers used as plastics, fibres and elastomers. Historically and presently the chemical industry has been concentrated in three areas of the world, Western Europe, North America and Japan (the Triad). The European Community remains the largest producer area followed by the USA and Japan.

The traditional dominance of chemical production by the Triad countries is being challenged by changes in feedstock availability and price, labour cost, energy cost, differential rates of economic growth and environmental pressures. Instrumental in the changing structure of the global chemical industry has been the growth in China, India, Korea, the Middle East, South East Asia, Nigeria, Trinidad, Thailand, Brazil, Venezuela, and Indonesia.

Technology

As accepted by chemical engineers, the chemical industry involves the use of chemical processes such as chemical reactions and refining methods to produce a wide variety of solid, liquid, and gaseous materials. Most of these products are not used in manufacture of other items, although a smaller number are used directly by consumers. Solvents, pesticides, lye, washing soda, and portland cement are a few examples of product used by consumers. The industry includes manufacturers of inorganic- and organic-industrial chemicals, ceramic products, petrochemicals, agrochemicals, polymers and rubber(elastomers), oleochemicals (oils, fats, and waxes), explosives, fragrances and flavors. Examples of these products are shown in the Table below. In a scientific sense, a chemical process is a method or means of somehow changing one or more chemicals or chemical compounds. ... For other uses, see Chemical reaction (disambiguation). ... A refinery is composed of a group of chemical engineering unit processes and unit operations used for refining certain materials or converting raw material into products of value. ... Manufacturing (from Latin manu factura, making by hand) is the use of tools and labor to make things for use or sale. ... For other uses, see Solvent (disambiguation). ... A cropduster spreading pesticide. ... Lye is a caustic solution used for glass and soap making. ... Sodium carbonate (also known as washing soda or soda ash), Na2CO3, is a sodium salt of carbonic acid. ... Sampling fast set Portland cement Portland cement is the most common type of cement in general usage, as it is a basic ingredient of concrete, mortar and plaster. ... Inorganic chemistry is the branch of chemistry concerned with the properties and reactions of inorganic compounds. ... Organic chemistry is a specific discipline within chemistry which involves the scientific study of the structure, properties, composition, reactions, and preparation (by synthesis or by other means) of chemical compounds consisting primarily of carbon and hydrogen, which may contain any number of other elements, including nitrogen, oxygen, halogens as well... Petrochemicals are chemical products made from raw materials of petroleum (hydrocarbon) origin. ... Agrichemical (or agrochemical) is a generic term for the various synthetic chemical products manufactured and sold for use in agriculture. ... A polymer (from Greek: πολυ, polu, many; and μέρος, meros, part) is a substance composed of molecules with large molecular mass composed of repeating structural units, or monomers, connected by covalent chemical bonds. ... The term elastomer is often used interchangeably with the term rubber, and is preferred when referring to vulcanisates. ... Oleochemicals are chemicals derived from biological oils or fats. ... This article is concerned solely with chemical explosives. ...

Although the pharmaceutical industry is often considered a chemical industry , it has many different characteristics that puts it in a separate category. Other closely related industries include petroleum, glass, paint, ink, sealant, adhesive, and food processing manufacturers. Inorganic chemistry is the branch of chemistry concerned with the properties and reactions of inorganic compounds. ... For other uses, see Ammonia (disambiguation). ... General Name, symbol, number nitrogen, N, 7 Chemical series nonmetals Group, period, block 15, 2, p Appearance colorless gas Standard atomic weight 14. ... Flash point Non-flammable. ... R-phrases S-phrases , , , Flash point Non-flammable Related Compounds Related strong acids Selenic acid Hydrochloric acid Nitric acid Related compounds Hydrogen sulfide Sulfurous acid Peroxymonosulfuric acid Sulfur trioxide Oleum Supplementary data page Structure and properties n, εr, etc. ... Organic chemistry is a specific discipline within chemistry which involves the scientific study of the structure, properties, composition, reactions, and preparation (by synthesis or by other means) of chemical compounds consisting primarily of carbon and hydrogen, which may contain any number of other elements, including nitrogen, oxygen, halogens as well... Acrylonitrile (CH2=CH-C≡N), is a pungent smelling, extremely flammable organic liquid. ... Phenol, also known under an older name of carbolic acid, is a colourless crystalline solid with a typical sweet tarry odor. ... “Oxirane” redirects here. ... Urea is an organic compound with the chemical formula (NH2)2CO. Urea is also known as carbamide, especially in the recommended International Nonproprietary Names (rINN) in use in Europe. ... Petrochemicals are chemical products made from raw materials of petroleum (hydrocarbon) origin. ... For benzine, see petroleum ether. ... Ethylene (or IUPAC name ethene) is the chemical compound with the formula C2H4. ... C8H8 redirects here. ... Agrichemical (or agrochemical) is a generic term for the various synthetic chemical products manufactured and sold for use in agriculture. ... Fertilizers are chemicals given to plants with the intention of promoting growth; they are usually applied either via the soil or by foliar spraying. ... Insecticide application by crop spraying An insecticide is a pesticide whose purpose is to kill or to prevent the multiplication of insects. ... A herbicide is a pesticide used to kill unwanted plants. ... A polymer (from Greek: πολυ, polu, many; and μέρος, meros, part) is a substance composed of molecules with large molecular mass composed of repeating structural units, or monomers, connected by covalent chemical bonds. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Bakelite is a material based on the thermosetting phenol formaldehyde resin, polyoxybenzylmethylenglycolanhydride developed in 1907–1909 by Belgian-American Dr. Leo Baekeland. ... SEM picture of a bend in a high surface area polyester fiber with a seven-lobed cross section Polyester is a category of polymers, or, more specifically condensation polymers, which contain the ester functional group in their main chain. ... The term elastomer is often used interchangeably with the term rubber, and is preferred when referring to vulcanisates. ... Latex being collected from a tapped rubber tree Rubber is an elastic hydrocarbon polymer which occurs as a milky colloidal suspension (known as latex) in the sap of several varieties of plants. ... Neoprene is the DuPont Chemical trade name for a family of synthetic rubbers based on polychloroprene. ... A polyurethane is any polymer consisting of a chain of organic units joined by urethane links. ... Oleochemicals are chemicals derived from biological oils or fats. ... This article is about the fat. ... Binomial name Glycine max Merr. ... Stearic acid (IUPAC systematic name: octadecanoic acid) is one of the useful types of saturated fatty acids that comes from many animal and vegetable fats and oils. ... This article is concerned solely with chemical explosives. ... Nitroglycerin (NG), also known as nitroglycerine, trinitroglycerin, and glyceryl trinitrate, is a chemical compound. ... Related Compounds Other anions Ammonium nitrite; ammonium perchlorate Other cations Sodium nitrate; potassium nitrate; hydroxylammonium nitrate Related compounds Nitrous oxide Except where noted otherwise, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 Â°C, 100 kPa) Infobox disclaimer and references The chemical compound ammonium nitrate, the nitrate of... Skeletal formula of nitrocellulose Ball-and-stick model of a section of nitrocellulose Nitrocellulose (also: cellulose nitrate, flash paper) is a highly flammable compound formed by nitrating cellulose through, for example, exposure to nitric acid or another powerful nitrating agent. ... This page may meet Wikipedias criteria for speedy deletion. ... Coumarin is a chemical compound; a toxin found in many plants, notably in high concentration in the tonka bean, woodruff, and bison grass. ... Vanillin, methyl vanillin, or 4-hydroxy-3-methoxybenzaldehyde, is an organic compound with the molecular formula C8H8O3. ... Pharmacology (in Greek: pharmacon is drug, and logos is science) is the study of how chemical substances interfere with living systems. ... Pumpjack pumping an oil well near Lubbock, Texas Ignacy Łukasiewicz - inventor of the refining of kerosene from crude oil. ... This article is about the material. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... An ink is a liquid containing various pigments and/or dyes used for coloring a surface to render an image or text. ... Self-leveling silicone firestop system used around pipe through-penetration in a two-hour fire-resistance rated concrete floor assembly. ... For the band, see Adhesive (band). ... Food processing is the set of methods and techniques used to transform raw ingredients into food for consumption by humans or animals. ...

Chemical processes such as chemical reactions are used in chemical plants to form new substances in various types of reaction vessels. In many cases the reactions are conducted in special corrosion resistant equipment at elevated temperatures and pressures with the use of catalysts. The products of these reactions are separated using a variety of techniques including distillation especially fractional distillation, precipitation, crystallization, adsorption, filtration, sublimation, and drying. The processes and product are usually tested during and after manufacture by dedicated instruments and on-site quality control laboratories to insure safe operation and to assure that the product will meet required specifications. The products are packaged and delivered by many methods, including pipelines, tank-cars, and tank-trucks (for both solids and liquids), cylinders, drums, bottles, and boxes. Chemical companies often have a research and development laboratory for developing and testing products and processes. These facilities may include pilot plants, and such research facilities may be located at a site separate from the production plant(s). A Chemical plant is an industrial process plant that manufactures chemicals, usually on a large scale. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Catalysis. ... Laboratory distillation set-up: 1: Heat source 2: Still pot 3: Still head 4: Thermometer/Boiling point temperature 5: Condenser 6: Cooling water in 7: Cooling water out 8: Distillate/receiving flask 9: Vacuum/gas inlet 10: Still receiver 11: Heat control 12: Stirrer speed control 13: Stirrer/heat plate... Fractional distillation is the separation of a mixture into its component parts, or fractions, such as in separating chemical compounds by their boiling point by heating them to a temperature at which several fractions of the compound will evaporate. ... Frost crystallization on a shrub. ... Adsorption is a process that occurs when a gas or liquid solute accumulates on the surface of a solid or, more rarely, a liquid (adsorbent), forming a molecular or atomic film (the adsorbate). ... Look up filtration in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Sublimation has three separate meanings: Sublimation (physics), the change from solid to gas without passing the liquid state Sublimation (psychology), the transformation of emotions Dye sublimation, the transference of printed images to a synthetic substrate by the application of heat Category: ... For the Jurassic 5 album, see Quality Control (album) In engineering and manufacturing, quality control and quality engineering are involved in developing systems to ensure products or services are designed and produced to meet or exceed customer requirements. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Specification may refer to several different concepts: Specification (standards) refers to specific standards Specificatio - a legal concept Specification (regression) refers to the practice of translating theory into a regression model Category: ... The phrase research and development (also R and D or, more often, R&D), according to the Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development, refers to creative work undertaken on a systematic basis in order to increase the stock of knowledge, including knowledge of man, culture and society, and the use...

Chemical industry is a very thing to understand if you have the right information georgia understands this

History

Chandler (2005) argues the relative success or failure of American and European chemical companies is explained with reference to three themes: "barriers to entry," "strategic boundaries," and "limits to growth." He says successful chemical firms followed definite "paths of learning" whereby first movers and close followers created entry barriers to would-be rivals by building "integrated learning bases" (or organizational capabilities) which enabled them to develop, produce, distribute, and sell in local and then worldwide markets. Also they followed a "virtuous strategy" of reinvestment of retained earnings and growth through diversification, particularly to utilize "dynamic" scale and scope economies relating to new learning in launching "next generation" products.

Companies in 21st century

The chemical industry includes large, medium, and small companies that are located worldwide. Companies with sales of chemical products greater than $10 billion dollars in fiscal year 2005 are shown below. For some of these companies the chemical sales represented only a portion of their total sales; for example ExxonMobil’s chemical sales were only 8.7 percent of their total sales.

COMPANY, HEADQUARTERS	2005 Chemical Sales, billions	Rank	Country
BASF, AG, Ludwigshafen, Germany	$53.2	1
Dow Chemical, Midland, Mich.	$46.3	2
Shell Chemicals, Netherlands/UK	$35	3
Bayer, AG, Leverkusen, Germany	$34.1	4
INEOS, Lyndhurst, UK	$33	5
ExxonMobil, Irving, Texas	$31.2	6
DuPont, Wilmington, Delaware	$28.5	7
Mitsubishi Chemical, Tokyo, Japan	$21.9	8
Lyondell Chemical, Houston, Texas	$18.6	9
Saudi Basic Industries Corporation, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia	$18.4	10
Akzo Nobel, Arnhem, Netherlands	$16.2	11
Degussa, AG, Düsseldorf,Germany	$14.6	12
Sumitomo Chemical, Tokyo, Japan	$14.1	13
Asahi Kasei, Tokyo, Japan	$13.6	14
Mitsui Chemicals, Tokyo, Japan	$13.4	15
Air Liquide, Paris, France	$13.0	16
Toray Industries, Tokyo, Japan	$13.0	17
Huntsman Corp., Salt Lake City, Utah	$13.0	18
Chevron Phillips, The Woodlands, Texas	$10.7	19
Solvay SA, Brussels, Belgium	$10.7	20
Imperial Chemical Industries(ICI), London, UK	$10.6	21
Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., Ltd., Tokyo, Japan	$10.2	22
DSM NV, Heerlen, Netherlands	$10.2	23

This article is about the German chemical company. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Germany. ... The Dow Chemical Company (NYSE: DOW) is a multinational corporation headquartered in Midland, Michigan, USA. In terms of market capitalization, it is the second-largest chemical company in the world, smaller than only DuPont. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Shell Chemicals is the petrochemicals arm of Royal Dutch Shell. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_Netherlands. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_United_Kingdom. ... Bayer AG (IPA pronunciation //) (ISIN: DE0005752000, NYSE: BAY, TYO: 4863 ) is a German chemical and pharmaceutical company founded in Barmen, Germany in 1863. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Germany. ... Ineos is a privately owned British chemicals company. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_United_Kingdom. ... For other uses, see Exon (disambiguation). ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Dupont, DuPont, Du Pont, or du Pont may refer to: // E.I. du Pont de Nemours and Company, the worlds third largest chemical company Du Pont Motors Gilbert Dupont, a French stock brokerage part of retail banking network Crédit du Nord ST Dupont, a French manufacturer of fine... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation(now part of Mitsubishi Chemical Holdings Corporation) (三菱化学株式会社, Mitsubishi Kagaku, MCC) is a Japanese corporation. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Japan. ... Lyondell Chemical Company is based in Houston, Texas. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... SABIC (Saudi Basic Industries Corp) is a diversified manufacturing company, active in chemicals and intermediates, industrial polymers, fertilizers and metals. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Saudi_Arabia. ... Akzo Nobel is a multinational company, active in the fields of healthcare products, coatings and chemicals. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_Netherlands. ... Degussa Logo Degussa AG is a multinational chemistry corporation based in Düsseldorf, Germany. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Germany. ... Sumitomo Group ) is a family of related Japanese companies, or keiretsu. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Japan. ... Asahi Kasei Corporation is a Japanese company. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Japan. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Japan. ... Founded in 1902, Air Liquide is the world leader in industrial and medical gases and related services. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Nakanoshima Mitsui Building, Osaka head office of Toray, in Kita-ku, Osaka, Japan Toray Industries, Inc. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Japan. ... Huntsman Corporation NYSE: HUN is one of the worlds largest chemical companies. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Chevron Phillips is a chemical producer jointly owned by Chevron Corporation and ConocoPhillips. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... This article deals with the company named Solvay. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Belgium_(civil). ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_United_Kingdom. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Japan. ... As a three-letter acronym or abbreviation DSM or dsm can mean several things: // DSM (company), an international chemicals company based in the Netherlands Dependency Structure Matrix Deputy Stage Manager Design Structure Matrix The IATA airport code for Des Moines International Airport in Des Moines, Iowa, United States and issometimes... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_Netherlands. ...

References

• Fred Aftalion A History of the International Chemical Industry. University of Pennsylvania Press. 1991. online version
• E. N. Brandt. Growth Company: Dow Chemical's First Century. Michigan State University Press. xxii+ 650 pp. Appendices, Select bibliography and index. ISBN 0-87013-426-4. online review
• Alfred D. Chandler. Shaping the Industrial Century: The Remarkable Story of the Evolution of the Modern Chemical and Pharmaceutical Industries. Harvard University Press, 2005. 366 pp. ISBN 0-674-01720-X. chapters 3-6 deal with DuPont, Dow Chemicals, Monsanto, American Cyanamid, Union Carbide, and Allied in USA; and European chemical producers, Bayer, Farben, and ICI.
• Micheal McCoy, et al., "Facts & Figures of the Chemical Industry", Chemical & Engineering News, 84(29), July 10, 2006, pp. 35-72.

npoz