Sources of inorganic chemicals

The diversity of sources of inorganic chemicals was touched on in the introduction to this chapter and the book entitled The Modern Inorganic Chemicals Industry discusses, in detail, the production of a number of important inorganic chemicals. Comment here therefore will be restricted to a summary of world consumption (Table 2.6) and major uses of the more important inorganic raw materials, plus a brief study of the changing raw-material usage for sulphuric acid production and the reasons for this. Between 1960 and 1975 four alternatives were utilized in sulphuric acid production. They are sulphur, anhydrite (a calcium sulphate mineral), zinc concentrates 

Source World chemical consumption 1975 millions of tonnes) Examples of uses 

Sodium carbonate 80 Caustic soda, cleaning formulations 

Titanium compounds 4-4 Titanium dioxide pigments, lightweight alloys 

Due to its many uses sulphuric acid can be used as a measure of a country s industrial development, since consumption of the former increases with the latter. Also, because production responds rapidly to changes in consumption it is also a barometer of industrial activity, even in highly developed countries such as our own. 

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Seawater is a valuable source of inorganic chemicals, specifically calcium and magnesium salts and bromine. Although their concentration is low when compared with, say, that of a metal in a metal ore, this is offset by seawater being free and easily pumped ashore to the processing plant. For example, the world s most important source of bromine is the Dead Sea in Israel. Another example of water as a valuable source of an inorganic chemical is described in Box 2.1. 

Potassium carbonate is used in the chemical industry as a source of inorganic potassium salts (potassium silicates, potassium bicarbonate), which are used in fertilizers, soaps, adhesives, dehydrating agents, dyes, and pharmaceuticals. Potassium carbonate used to make potassium lye produces soft soaps, which are liquids or semisolids rather than solids. Other uses of potassium carbonate includes use as a fire suppressant in extinguishers, as a C02 absorbent for chemical processes and pollution control, an antioxidant in rubber additives, and in pharmaceutical formulations. 

The SDWA promulgated the primary MCLs for VOCs and synthetic chemicals (pesticides), inorganic, microbiological, and radiological contaminants. A list of the MCLs, the potential sources of regulated chemicals in groundwater, and associated health risks can be found at the EPA Web Page at http //www.epa.gov/safewater. 

There are many different sources of raw materials for the manufacture of inorganic chemicals (see Table 1). Very few of them are found in their elemental form. Sulfur is a notable exception. It occurs in underground deposits and can be brought to the surface by compressed air after it is melted by superheated steam. However, increasing quantities of sulfur are recovered from petroleum and natural gas (where they occur as impurities). 

There are three major sources of chemical statistics United States Tariff Commission, for productions and sales statistics on organic chemicals and plastic materials Bureau of the Census, for production and shipments of inorganic chemicals and Bureau of Mines, for coal chemicals. Selected chemicals are reported on a monthly basis, while hundreds are covered annually. Other sources of chemical statistics are such agencies as the Alcohol Tax Unit, Tennessee Valley Authority, and Bureau of Labor Statistics. The publications of these agencies are discussed in this paper. 

Petroleum chemicals or petrochemicals are chemicals derived from petroleum, liquefied petroleum gases, or natural gas. These raw materials are the major sources of organic chemicals today, and the term petrochemicals is virtually synonymous with organic chemicals. Therefore, the markets for petrochemicals are the same as the markets for organic chemicals in general. Even a few inorganic chemicals—for example, sulfur, sulfuric acid, ammonia, and hydrogen cyanide—are made from petroleum and natural gas. 

The purification of inorganic chemicals with activated carbon is not common practice. Usually it is more practical to procure source materials that do not require such purification. For the most part, applications in this field are limited to the treatment of waste materials containing impurities that are difficult to separate by other methods. Carbon performs a dual task of recovering a product and at the same time eliminating a disposal problem. 

The main sources of inorganic ions found in tailings water are (1) oil sand connate water (water in the spaces between the sand grains), (2) makeup water taken from the Athabasca River for use in plant processes, and (3) chemicals added during hot water extraction and other processes. These sources contribute ions that accumulate in the pond water that is recycled to oil sands processing. 

One of the major differences between the organic chemicals industry and the manufacture of inorganic chemicals on the large scale lies in the source of raw materials. Most industrial organic chemicals can be derived from a single source oil and natural gas, coal, or carbohydrates (biomass, and animal and vegetable oil and fats). In contrast, industrial inorganic chemicals are produced from a wide variety of sources. 

This book is divided into two parts, including the theoretical basis of linear-dichroic infrared (IR-LD) spectroscopy (Chapter 1), the orientation method as colloid suspension in nematic hosts (Chapter 2), and practical aspects (Chapters 3 through 6) associated with the use of the method for the characterization of inorganic chemicals and glasses as well as various classes of organic compounds. In all of the examples, the scope and limitation of the method are discussed and summarized. Therefore, this text can serve as a useful source of information not only for specialists in IR spectroscopy but also for other scientists as well as Ph.D. students working in the field of structural analysis. It can also be successfully used by B.Sc. and M.Sc. students who attend courses for advanced physical methods of analysis. 

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