Video Lesson

Competencies

At the end of this unit, you will be able to

• Define industrial chemistry
• List general characteristics of chemical industries
• Mention the role of industrial chemistry in the society
• List the renewable and non-renewable natural resources and appreciate their importance to the industry as raw materials
• Define natural resources and categorize them into renewable and non-renewable resources.
• Explain the importance of natural resources in industrial processes, emphasizing their role as raw materials in the production of various chemicals and industrial products.
• Identify examples of renewable resources (e.g, solar energy, wind energy) and non-renewable resources (e.g., coal, petroleum, natural gas), and discuss their advantages and limitations.
• Describe the process of transforming natural resources into valuable industrial products, such as the production of fertilizers, chemicals, and energy.
• Analyze the environmental impact of using non-renewable resources in industry, including pollution, resource depletion, and habitat destruction

Brainstorming Question

• How can animals and plants be replaced once they die?
• What are fossil fuels?
• Can fossil fuels be renewed?
• Explain the importance of natural resources for chemical industries using examples?
• List at least five products that are manufactured by Ethiopian chemical industries?

Key Terms

1.1. Introduction

The 19^th century industrial revolution began the development of chemical industries at a very high rate. Following this, the demand for goods produced through chemical processes increased. Today, chemical industries in both developed and developing countries produce a number of very useful products. This includes synthetic fibers, plastics, rubber fertilizers, dyes, drugs and many other products.

Chemistry and chemical technology are very important for economic growth and development especially for developing countries like Ethiopia. Ethiopia has minerals (metal ores) deposits which are sources of iron, lead, copper, gold, platinum, tantalum and many rare-earth metals. Moreover, rock salt gypsum, coal, and crude oil are found. So, Ethiopia needs industrial revolution to use its mineral deposits to produce various chemicals on a large scale. So, in this context, what is meant by industrial Chemistry?

Industrial chemistry is a branch of chemistry which applies physical and chemical procedures toward the transformation of natural raw materials and their derivatives in to products that have beneficial to humanity.

Industrial chemistry is the basis of the chemical industry.

Chemical industry is an institution involved in producing chemical products such as food, medicine, building materials, plastics, etc.

• Chemical industry is an institutions involves the use of chemical processes such as chemical reactions and refining methods to produce a wide variety of materials with desirable properties and quality to satisfy social needs. Most of these products, in turn, can be used by other chemical industries to manufacture other items or can be used directly by consumers.

Generally, Chemical Industries:

• Use naturally or artificially available raw materials to produce the desired
• Products. Involve chemical reactions to transform raw materials into finished and semi finishe products.
• Consume relatively large quantities of energy during the manufacturing process.
• Use safe operation methods in their manufacturing processes, and
• Test their products during and after manufacture in their quality control laboratories to ensure that the products meet the required specifications.

1.2. Natural Resource and Industry

Natural Resources are materials and substances that occur naturally in the environment and are used by humans for various purposes. They include minerals, fossil fuels, water, and biological resources.

1.2.1. Types of Natural Resources

A. Renewable Resources: Can be replenished naturally over time, such as forests, water, and wind energy.

B. Non-Renewable Resources: Finite and cannot be replaced once depleted, including fossil fuels (coal, oil, natural gas) and minerals (metals, gemstones).

Industries Dependent on Natural Resources

• Chemical Industry: Uses raw materials like petroleum and minerals to produce chemicals, plastics, and pharmaceuticals.
• Energy Industry: Converts fossil fuels and renewable resources into electricity and heat for residential, industrial, and commercial use.
• Agriculture: Relies on soil, water, and nutrients to grow crops and raise livestock, with fertilizers and pesticides enhancing productivity.
• The raw materials are obtained from the different components of the natural environment. These are listed below

Atmosphere

From the atmosphere: The earth’s atmosphere has approximately 5 × 10¹⁵ tons of gases. It is composed of different gases namely N₂ ,O₂, CO₂, Ne, Ar, Kr and Xe. They are important industrial raw materials. Thus, the natural supply of these gases is unlimited.

Hydrosphere

From the hydrosphere: Ocean water which amounts to about 1.5 × 10²¹ liters contains about 3.5 percent by mass dissolved material. Seawater is a good source of sodium chloride, magnesium and bromine.

Lithosphere

From the lithosphere: The vast majority of elements are obtained from the earth’s crust in the form of mineral ores, carbon and hydrocarbons. Coal, natural gas and crude petroleum besides being energy sources are also converted to thousands of chemicals

Biosphere

From the biosphere: Vegetation and animals contribute raw materials to the so-called agro-based industries. Oils, fats, waxes, resins, sugar, natural fibers and leather are examples of thousands of natural products.

1.2.2. Industry

Industry refers to the sector of the economy that involves the production of goods and services through the processing of raw materials. It encompasses various sectors including manufacturing, chemical production, and energy. or Industry is a well-organized facility with a high degree of automation and specialization where large-scale manufacturing of goods take place. such as agriculture, transportation, hospitality, and many others.
Manufacturing industry: is a compartment of industry or economy which is concerned with the production or making of goods out of raw materials by means of a system of organized labor.

Types of Industries

1. Primary Industries:

• Extract raw materials from the Earth.

Examples include mining (metals and minerals), forestry (wood), and agriculture (crops and livestock).

2 .Secondary Industries:

• Process raw materials into finished products.

Examples include manufacturing (cars, electronics), chemical industries (plastics, pharmaceuticals), and construction (buildings, infrastructure).

3. Tertiary Industries:

• Provide services rather than goods.

Examples include retail, banking, and healthcare.

Chemical Industry ; A branch of industry focused on producing chemicals and related products. It includes the production of basic chemicals (e.g., acids, bases), specialty chemicals (e.g., dyes, catalysts), and consumer chemicals (e.g., detergents, cosmetics).

Processes: Involves chemical reactions, distillation, filtration, and other methods to transform raw materials into valuable products.

The products result from:

A. Chemical reaction between organic materials, or inorganic materials, or both
B. Extraction, separation, or purification of natural products, with or without the aid of chemical reactions
C. The preparation of specifically valuable materials

Classification of the Chemical Industry Based on Raw Material used for Production

1. Chemical industries use natural raw materials (resources)

For example, Sugar industries use sugar cane to manufacture sugar.

2. Chemical industries use products from other industries to manufacture their products.

For example: Detergent and soap manufacturing industries use preprocessed products like caustic soda, caustic potash and related compounds to manufacture their products

Classification based on the product type

Examples are:

• Food processing industries,
• Beverages industries
• Textiles industries,
• Wearing apparel industries,
• Leather industries
• Paper and chemical industries …etc