 INDUSTRIAL CHEMISTRY  CHEM 2017  Lect 2008  General introduction  M S SCURRELL  CHEMISTRY BUILDING, ROOM 101  michael.scurrell@wits.ac.za CONNECTIONS IN INORGANICS  Why should chlorine and caustic soda prices be connected?  Why should ammonia and urea manufacture be done on the same plant?  Why is ammonia a side-product of making synthetic fuels from coal? [Sasol] CONNECTIONS IN INDUCTRY  Why does the ore extraction industry manufacture sulphuric acid?  Who fixes the price of ammonia?  What is needed to make a successful inorganic chemicals business?  PRODUCT  MARKET  PRICE  TECHNOLOGY  Does South Africa manufacture ammonia in a different way to Japan? Saudi Arabia? USA? Germany?  COMMODITY CHEMICALS  SPECIALITY CHEMICALS COMMODITY  High tonnage  World pricing  Mature technology & similar  CHLORINE, SULPHURIC ACID, AMMONIA, PHOSPHORIC ACID COMMODITY SPECIALITY  Lower tonnage  Similar specifications, but some differences between manufacturers  Less consistent pricing  TITANIUM DIOXIDE, SYNTHETIC ZEOLITES, SPECIALITY  Often not pure chemicals  Trade named mixtures  Smaller quantities, higher prices  Hi-tech products  SOLVENTS, HYDRAULIC FLUIDS, REFRIDGERANTS, ELECTRONICS MANUFACTURE EXAMPLES ONLY  SULPHUR  NITROGEN  HYDROGEN PEROXIDE AND PEROXY COMPOUNDS  FLUORINE  ALUMINIUM COMPOUNDS (silicas, ZEOLITES)  PHOSPHORUS  PLATINUM GROUP METALS (GOLD)  Environmental issues legislation  MINIMUM STANDARDS  TO PROTECT WORK-FORCE  TO PROTECT IMMEDIATE ENVIRONMENT OUTSIDE THE PLANT  TO PROTECT GLOBAL ENVIRONMENT SHE  SAFETY  HEALTH  ENVIRONMENT EXPOSURE TO CHEMICALS  Water purity: • Triazine herbicides: < 100 ng/l • Nitrates < 50 ppm (25 ppm) • Lead < 25 ppm AIR QUALITY  SOx  NOx  LIMITS PLACE HEAVY DEMANDS ON TECHNOLOGY  CLEAN-UP (END OF PIPE) VERSUS AVOIDANCE OF PROBLEM AIR QUALITY  SOx  NOx  LIMITS PLACE HEAVY DEMANDS ON TECHNOLOGY  CLEAN-UP (END OF PIPE) VERSUS AVOIDANCE OF PROBLEM COPPER, NICKEL INDUSTRY  Sulphide ores  Need to convert to oxides  Roasting process produces SO2  New technologies: • Roasting furnace design • Improved catalysts for sulphuric acid manufacture (KINETICS, THERMODYNAMICS) CAR ENGINE EXHAUST TREATMENT  High impact on the platinum metal industry  Price of Pt  Price of Rh  Price of Ru  High impact on the oil refining industry  Fuel quality, lead-free fuel