Survey of Industrial Chemistry

516 Pages·2002·32.363 MB·English

by  Philip J. Chenier (auth.)

Survey of
Industrial Chemistry
Third Edition
TOPICS IN APPLIED CHEMISTRY
Series Editors: Alan R. Katritzky, FRS
University of Florida
Gainesville, Florida
Gebran J. Sabongi
3M Company
St. Paul, Minnesota
Otto Meth-Cohn
Sunderland University
Sunderland, United Kingdom
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SURVEY OF INDUSTRIAL CHEMISTRY, Third Edition
Philip J. Chenier
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Survey of
Industrial Chemistry
Third Edition
Philip ). Chenier
University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire
Eau Claire, Wisconsin
Springer Science+Business Media, LLC
ISBN 978-1-4613-5153-5 ISBN 978-1-4615-0603-4 (eBook)
DOI 10.1007/978-1-4615-0603-4
©2002 Springer Science+Business Media New York
Originally published by Kluwer Academic/Plenum Publishers in 2002
Softcover reprint of the hardcover 3rd edition 2002
http ://www. wkap. nl/
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 21
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Preface
This book arose from the need for a basic text dealing with industrial
chemistry for use in a one-semester, three-credit senior level course taught at
the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire. The course was added as a
requirement for our B.S. degree in Chemistry with Business Emphasis and is
strongly recommended as an elective in our other chemistry majors,
including our American Chemical Society-accredited program. There are
some good extensive texts and valuable reference works dealing with
applied chemistry. What was needed for our course, and what I believe will
be useful for similar courses at the graduate or advanced undergraduate
level, is a basic text of introductory material, sufficient to cover all important
areas of the chemical industry, yet limited in scope so that completion of the
book in 40 to 45 hours of lecture may be a reasonable goal.
The book is also an excellent resource and reference for persons working
in the chemical and related industries. It has sections on all important
technology used by these industries and therefore is a one-step source for
answers to most questions on practical applied chemistry. Young scientists
and engineers just entering the workforce will in particular find it useful as a
readily available handbook to prepare them for a type of chemistry quite
different from what they have seen in their traditional coursework, whether
graduate or undergraduate. Chemists and chemical engineers at every level
of education and experience will have at their disposal a valuable resource.
Industrial chemistry means different things to different people. Most will
agree that the phrase includes the practical applied chemistry that bridges the
gap between basic research and development and at least two other
disciplines, chemical engineering and chemical marketing. The present text
v
Vi Preface
attempts to lessen the lack of knowledge that most graduates have in both of
these areas. Some attempt is made to instill in chemists an appreciation for
both the manufacturing and the economic problems facing the chemical
industry on a day-to-day basis, as well as to introduce them to the chemistry
used by our industry every day. Although some space is devoted to
economics and engineering, this is largely a chemistry book, and chemical
reactions and processes, even mechanisms of reactions, are given full
coverage.
In developing such a book the toughest job is always deciding what to
include. I have tried to cover a little of everything, since the text is meant to
be a survey of important sectors of industrial chemistry. The manufacture
and uses of the top 100 basic chemicals are covered in detail. The chemistry
of all important industrial polymers is included and their applications are
discussed. Finally, certain selected specific technologies, the most important
of the many areas that chemical manufacturing covers, are given one chapter
each. If one measures treatment in terms of the value of shipments, the book
covers more than 90% of the chemical industry, as well as providing
information on other industries separate from chemical manufacturing that
also contain interesting chemistry and employ many chemists, such as the
paper, petroleum and coal products industry, and the plastics and rubber
products industry.
Perhaps the most challenging part of teaching this course and of writing a
good text is to keep the important economic data current. In some cases this
is done easily; in others it is difficult. Rather than having to revise this
material yearly or even monthly with changing economic times, I have had
recourse to some references to periodic updates that students can consult for
the latest data. An example of these series is "Chemical Profiles" in
Chemical Marketing Reporter. Government figures are a particular
challenge, since official numbers for shipments are not available in Annual
Survey of Manufactures until three years later. But even those numbers give
students a general feel for the economic trends of the industry. It is virtually
impossible for a text to remain economically accurate and complete for more
than a year or two, and the present text is no exception. In presenting this
material in class I update these data periodically. The graphs and charts are
easily updated for a course. The course material is also supplemented with
over 200 color slides of various chemical plants, manufacturing sites, and
research labs I have visited.
To attempt to thank everyone who has helped me expand my knowledge
of this subject would be an impossible task, but certain organizations deserve
a special mention. A University of Wisconsin System Undergraduate
Teaching Improvement Grant allowed me to plan the course initially during
one summer. University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire Faculty Development
Preface vii
Grants enabled me to visit chemical plants throughout the United States to
get firsthand experience in manufacturing. They also funded some release
time for one semester in which I wrote a portion of an earlier version of this
book. A number of companies let me visit their facilities, talk with their
personnel, and obtain pictures for use in the course. Their names are given
in the figure captions. I also thank the Department of Chemistry at UW-Eau
Claire for allowing me to develop and teach the course, and to the students
who have given me valuable feedback on the course and book. In particular,
I wish to thank the following students who have done research for me in
connection with the preparation of materials used in the book: Danette
Artibee, Lisa Bauer, Christine Benter, Leslie Bresina, Andrea Halberg,
Kristin Halverson, Dawn Schroeder, Rich Vehlow, and Jennifer White.
Thanks also to Michael Carney, Melvin Gleiter, Ben Etzkorn, and Paul
Houslet who helped with information and proofing. Finally, I wish to thank
one individual, Dr. Harold Wittcoff, who first got me interested in teaching
industrial chemistry when I audited his graduate course during a sabbatical at
the University of Minnesota.
Philip J. Chenier
January 2002
Contents
1. Introduction to the Chemical Industry: An Overview .................... 1
1. The National Economy ................................................................ 1
2. Definition and Divisions of the Chemical Industry ..................... 2
3. Size and Current Economics of the Chemical Industry ............... 5
4. Location of the Chemical Industry .............................................. 6
5. Employment in the Chemical Industry ........................................ 7
6. Salaries of Chemists .................................................................... 8
7. General Characteristics of the Chemical Industry ..................... 11
8. Top 50 Chemicals ...................................................................... 16
9. Top Polymers ............................................................................. 18
10. Top U.S. Chemical Companies ................................................. 22
11. Top World Chemical Companies .............................................. 22
2. Sulfuric Acid and Its Derivatives ..................................................... 23
1. Introduction to Inorganic Chemicals ......................................... 23
2. Sulfuric Acid (Oil of Vitriol) ..................................................... 27
3. Phosphoric Acid (Orthophosphoric Acid) ................................. 37
4. Aluminum Sulfate (Filter Alum or Papermaker's Alum) .......... 39
3. Industrial Gases ................................................................................. 41
1. Nitrogen ..................................................................................... 41
2. Oxygen ...................................................................................... 44
3. Hydrogen ................................................................................... 45
4. Carbon Dioxide ......................................................................... 50
5. Economics of Industrial Gases .................................................. 51
ix
x Contents
4. Inorganic Nitrogen Compounds ...........................................•..........• 55
1. Ammonia ................................................................................... 56
2. Nitric Acid ................................................................................. 59
3. AmmoniumNitrate .................................................................... 61
4. Urea ........................................................................................... 62
5. Ammonium Sulfate ................................................................... 63
5. Chemicals from Limestone ............................................................... 65
1. Lime ........................................................................................... 65
2. Soda Ash (Sodium Carbonate) .................................................. 69
3. Calcium Chloride ....................................................................... 72
4. Sodium Silicate (Silica Gel) ...................................................... 73
6. Sodium Chloride Derivatives and Miscellaneous Inorganics •.••.•.• 75
1. Sodium Chloride ........................................................................ 75
2. Caustic Soda (Sodium Hydroxide, Caustic) .............................. 77
3. Chlorine ..................................................................................... 82
4. Economics of Caustic Soda and Chlorine ................................. 83
5. Hydrochloric Acid (Muriatic Acid) ........................................... 84
6. Titanium Dioxide ....................................................................... 86
7. Miscellaneous Inorganic Chemicals .......................................... 87
7. Petroleum Refining Processes .......................................................... 91
1. Introduction ............................................................................... 91
2. Distillation ................................................................................. 96
3. Octane Number .......................................................................... 98
4. Additives .................................................................................. 101
5. Hydrotreating ........................................................................... 105
6. Cracking .................................................................................. 106
7. Reforming ................................................................................ 110
8. Alkylation and Polymerization ................................................ 112
9. Separation of Natural Gas: Methane Production .................... 113
8. Basic Organic Chemicals ................................................................ 117
1. Ethylene (Ethene) .................................................................... 117
2. Propylene (Propene) ................................................................ 122
3. The C Stream .......................................................................... 124
4
4. Butadiene (1,3-Butadiene) ....................................................... 124
5. Isobutylene (Isobutene) ........................................................... 126
6. Economic Aspects of Olefins .................................................. 128
7. Benzene (Benzol) .................................................................... 130
8. Toluene (Toluol) ...................................................................... 134
Contents xi
9. Xylenes (Xylols) ...................................................................... 136
10. Economic Aspects of Aromatics ............................................. 139
9. Derivatives of Ethylene ................................................................... 143
1. Ethylene Dichloride (EDC) ..................................................... 145
2. Vinyl Chloride (Vinyl Chloride Monomer, VCM) .................. 147
3. Acetic Acid (Ethanoic Acid, Glacial Acetic Acid) .................. 148
4. Vinyl Acetate ........................................................................... 152
5. Ethylbenzene ........................................................................... 154
6. Styrene (Vinylbenzene, Phenylethene) .................................... 156
7. Ethylene Oxide ........................................................................ 158
8. Ethylene Glycol (Ethan-1,2-Diol) ........................................... 160
10. Chemicals from Propylene and Butylene ...................................... 163
1. Acrylonitrile (2-Propenonitrile) ............................................... 163
2. Propylene Oxide (l,2-Epoxypropane) ..................................... 167
3. Cumene (Isopropylbenzene) .................................................... 171
4. Acetone (2-Propanone) ............................................................ 172
5. Bisphenol A (BPA) .................................................................. 176
6. n-Butyraldehyde (Butanal) ...................................................... 177
7. Chemicals from the C Fraction .............................................. 179
4
8. Butadiene Derivatives .............................................................. 179
9. Methyl t-Butyl Ether (MTBE) ................................................. 182
10. Other C Derivatives ................................................................ 182
4
11. Derivatives of the Basic Aromatics ................................................ 185
1. Benzene Derivatives ................................................................ 185
2. Phenol (Carbolic Acid) ............................................................ 187
3. Cyc10hexane (Hexahydrobenzene, Hexamethylene) ............... 188
4. Adipic Acid (l,6-Hexandioic Acid) ........................................ 189
5. Caprolactam ............................................................................. 193
6. Nitrobenzene ............................................................................ 195
7. Toluene Derivatives ................................................................. 197
8. Terephthalic Acid and Dimethyl Terephthalate ...................... 199
9. Phthalic Anhydride .................................................................. 201
12. Chemicals from Methane ................................................................ 205
1. Methanol (Wood Alcohol, Methyl Alcohol) ........................... 207
2. Formaldehyde (Methanal) ....................................................... 208
3. Acetic Acid .............................................................................. 210
4. Chlorofluorocarbons and Fluorocarbons ................................. 211