Evolution of Chemical Process Industries

In the early 1920s, a need was felt to have a unified approach for different disciphnes of chemical engineering, and thus, the concept of unit operations (Walker et al. 1923) was inuoduced. Subsequently, the concept of unit processes (Groggins 1958), which allowed ueatment of individual reaction types on a unified basis, was 

Design of Multiphase Reactors, First Edition. Vishwas Govind Pangarkar. 

In the initial stages, the chemical process industries were restricted to inorganic chemicals (sulfuric acid, nitric acid), sugar, paper, fertilizers, etc. Most hydrocarbons were derived from coal. 

O Purifier may we not injure thy vitals or thy heart (Atharva Veda)  

This quote should be a clear message to all engaged in various industries and in particular the chemical process industries. Sustainability was the theme of 21st International Symposium on Chemical Reaction Engineering (LaMarca et al. 2010). 

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