Introduction - Fundamentals of Industrial Chemistry: Pharmaceuticals, Polymers, and Business - page 1

CHAPTER 1
Introduction
The chemical industry is one of America's largest; a $750 billion dollar
enterprise, it represents more than 13% of U.S. manufacturing exports, and
directly employs more than 780,000 [1]. About 54% of all chemists work
in manufacturing, 37% in academia, and the remainder are self-employed
or in the government. Bachelor's degree chemists represent the group most
employed in industry at 83% [2]. If you are a chemist, there is a likelihood
that you work in industry (either in manufacturing, analytical services, or
research services). If you don't work in industry, knowledge of industrial
chemistry is still important. If you are in academics, you might be collabo-
rating with industrial colleagues or preparing students for industrial careers.
Many government chemists have jobs associated with the chemical industry
and work closely with industrial colleagues. Even if you are not a chemist,
you are surrounded by chemicals and chemical products and knowledge of
the chemical industry is useful.
There is a misconception among some that research occurs in academia
and little goes on in industry. This is not true at all. Chemical companies
expend major time and money on research and employ many chemists in that
endeavor. For example, BASF ($2.0B), Bayer ($1.3B), Dow ($1.7B), and
Dupont ($1.7B) each year spend much more than $1 billion on research [3].
This text discusses how and why major chemicals are manufactured.
Intertwined in these discussions are concepts such as separation techniques,
cost, conversion, transport, byproduct formation, and other items critical
to industrial chemistry. Many of the major chemicals are discussed. Also
discussed are several different industries. Most of the largest volume organic
chemicals that are produced are made as feedstocks for polymers. For this
reason, polymer chemistry is given special attention. The text discusses many
of the major industrial polymers including their synthesis and properties.
A background in polymer science is also presented so that the reader
becomes familiar with some important concepts such as glass transition,