History of the Chemical Processing Industry

After studying this chapter, the student will be able to  

Batch process—order of work in which all ingredients are added to the process up front. 

Big Rollover—point at which global oil production peaks and then begins to decline. 

Biogenic theory—describes how natural gas and crude oil were formed using pressure or compression and heat on ancient organic material. 

Catalytic cracking—process that uses a catalyst to separate hydrocarbons. 

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Every student who has just read that this course will involve descriptions of industrial process and the history of the chemical process industry is probably already worried about what will be on the tests. Students usually think that problems with numerical answers (5.2 liters and 95% conversion) are somehow easier than anything where memorization is involved. We assure you that most problems will be of the numerical answer type. However, by the time students become seniors, they usually start to worry (properly) that their jobs will not just involve simple, weU-posed problems but rather examination of messy situations where the boss does not know the answer (and sometimes doesn t understand the problem). You are employed to think about the big picture, and numerical calculations are only occasionally the best way to find solutions. Our major intent in discussing descriptions of processes and history is to help you see the contexts in which we need to consider chemical reactors. Your instructor may ask you to memorize some facts or use facts discussed here to synthesize a process similar to those here. However, even if your instructor is a total wimp, we hope that reading about what makes the world of chemical reaction engineering operate wiU be both instmctive and interesting. 

The history of the chemical processing industry (CPI) can be traced back thousands of years. The Bible reports that Noah used pitch as a building material for the Ark. In 374 CE, the ancient Chinese connected more than 800 feet of bamboo poles to pipe oil into containers where it was burned to produce salt. Ancient Chinese and Japanese illustrations and records indicate the application and use of natural gas for heating and lighting. Pitch was also used to build the streets and walls of ancient Babylon. Before the first European set foot on the North or South American continents, aboriginal Indians used crude oil for medicine and fuel. Around 600 CE, temples built near Baku, Azerbaijan, had eternal flames that burned continuously and were a source of awe for worshippers. 

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