 Chemicals are essential materials for many

modem industries. So the chemical industry

is considered as the key industry. Proper
development of this industry needs higher
practical skill of science, laboratory
experiments; sufficient capital expenditure
and a fairly big industrial demand for
chemicals.
 The chemical industry comprises the
companies that produce industrial chemicals.
Central to the modern world economy, it
converts raw materials (oil, natural gas, air,
water, metals, and minerals) into more than
70,000 different products. The plastics
industry contains some overlap, as most
chemical companies produce plastic as well
as other chemicals.
 Various professionals are deeply involved in
the chemical industry including chemical
engineers, scientists, lab chemists,
technicians, etc. As of 2018, the chemical
industry comprises approximately 15% of the
US manufacturing economic sector.
 Chemicals are essential materials for many
modem industries. So the chemical industry
is considered as the key industry. Proper
development of this industry needs higher
practical skill of science, laboratory
experiments; sufficient capital expenditure
and a fairly big industrial demand for
chemicals.
 The products of chemical industries are
broadly divided into two major groups,
organic and inorganic. But according to the
quality and use of the products, chemical
industry is distinctly divided into two broad
groups. This are:
 The materials used or produced in the chemical
industries are classified in the following manner.
 Quantity of production and consumption
a) Heavy chemicals . Those dealt in large
quantity normally crude or less purified chemicals
b) Fine chemicals .They are complete purified
substances and produced in limited quantity. E.g.
specialty solvent, perfumes, medicines etc.
 First which produces simple compounds from
the locally available large amount of raw
materials usually they are very large
industries and the product manufacture are
purified to the extent that they can be used
as raw material for other industries or they
are directly marketed as a consumer goods.
In general they are heavy chemical
industries.
 A term that applies to such products
as the common acids, soda ash,
caustic soda and those salts and other
chemicals that are produced in large
quantities and relatively little cost.

 Heavy chemicals are mostly

manufactured from mineral deposits
or industrial by-products.
 The major products are acids and
alkalies. The acid group comprises
sulphuric acid, nitric acid, acetic acid,
hydrochloric acid etc. and alkalies
comprises chlorine, caustic soda, sodium
salts, ammonia, urea and different
fertilizers etc.
 On the other hand certain industries deal
with specialty chemicals and they are making
small quantity of product having better
quality which is sold into market as finished
good. They are called as fine chemical
industries.
 These are generally manufactured in
relatively smaller amounts. Further, the
manufacturer requires greater skill and care
in each operation under scientifically and
technically trained control. Purity of the
substance is much more important than the
price, which is generally sufficiently great, so
that it may not be necessary to take special
precautions with reference to the saving of
heat and power in its manufacture.
 Numerous chemicals are included in this
type of chemicals. Among these, soap,
detergents, perfumes, cosmetics, dyes,
plastic, explosives, pesticides and
insecticides are important. These
materials are all entailing a heavy
expenditure and require tremendous
attention during production.
 According to the standard
industrial classifications of US
Bureau of the Budget, the
general classifications on
chemical and allied products are
as follows:
 Industrial inorganic and organic chemicals:
Alkalies and chlorine, industrial gases, coal
for crude oil, dyes, dye intermediates, organic
pigments, other industrial organic chemicals -
chemical as acetic, formic, synthetic perfume
and flavouring materials etc. Other industrial
inorganic chemicals - inorganic salts of
sodium, potassium, aluminium, calcium,
magnesium etc.
 Plastic materials and synthetic resins, synthetic
rubber, synthetic and other man-made fibres
except glass.
 Drugs: Biological products, medicinal chemicals
and botanical products, pharmaceutical
preparations.
 Soap, detergents and cleaning preparations,
perfumes, cosmetics and other toilet
preparations; detergents except specially
cleaners. Specially cleaning, polishing and
sanitation preparations except soap and
detergents,
 Paints, varnishes, lacquers, enamels and
allied products.
 Gum and wood chemicals.
 Agricultural chemicals: Fertilizers,
agricultural pesticides, other agricultural
chemicals, as soil conditioners and trace
elements.