Global Chemical Industry Sectors:

Inorganic chemicals

Industrial Chemistry Lecture

2nd semester, 2019 - 2020

Industrial Chemistry Lecture: Global Chemical Industry Sectors – Inorganic Chemicals 1

Industrial Chemistry Lecture: Global Chemical Industry Sectors
2
– Inorganic Chemicals
Inorganic Chemicals: Chlor-Alkalis

Industrial Chemistry Lecture: Global Chemical Industry Sectors – Inorganic Chemicals 3

 Inorganic Chemicals: Chlor-Alkalis
Chlorine and Sodium Hydroxide (Caustic Soda) Production: Brine Electrolysis

Anode
2Cl- Cl2 + 2e-

Cathode
Direct
2H2O + 2e- H2 + 2OH-

Indirect (mercury cell)

Na+ + e- + Hg NaHg
2NaHg + 2H2O Hg + 2Na + 2OH- + H2

Industrial Chemistry Lecture: Global Chemical Industry Sectors – Inorganic Chemicals 4

 Inorganic Chemicals: Chlor-Alkalis
Chlorine and Sodium Hydroxide (Caustic Soda) Production: Brine Electrolysis

• Annual global Cl2 production of ~3.5 x 107 MT

• NaOH is usually traded as aqueous solution (~30 to 50% w/v)

Industrial Chemistry Lecture: Global Chemical Industry Sectors – Inorganic Chemicals 5

 Inorganic Chemicals: Chlor-Alkalis
Chlorine and Sodium Hydroxide (Caustic Soda) Production: Brine Electrolysis

Mercury cell (phased out since 1984) * Diaphragm cells usually contains asbestos

Industrial Chemistry Lecture: Global Chemical Industry Sectors – Inorganic Chemicals 6

Inorganic Chemicals: Chlor-Alkalis
Sodium Carbonate (Soda ash), Sodium Bicarbonate Production: Solvay Process

Industrial Chemistry Lecture: Global Chemical Industry Sectors – Inorganic Chemicals 7

Inorganic Chemicals: Sulfur and Sulfuric Acid

• Sources:
• Ores : pyrite (FeS2), sphalerite (ZnS), chalcopyrite (CuFeS2)
• Petroleum & natural gas (sour gas - H2S)

• 90% of produced or extracted sulfur is converted to SO2 which is

then converted to H2SO4

• Annual production worldwide of 70M MT as of 2016, with China as

top producer (11M MT)

• Major use for H2SO4 is manufacture of phosphate fertilizer

Industrial Chemistry Lecture: Global Chemical Industry Sectors – Inorganic Chemicals 8

 Inorganic Chemicals: Sulfur and Sulfuric Acid
Sulfur mining: Frasch process Sulfur recovery from petroleum / natural gas refinery

Industrial Chemistry Lecture: Global Chemical Industry Sectors – Inorganic Chemicals 9

 Inorganic Chemicals: Sulfur and Sulfuric Acid
H2SO4 manufacture: Contact Process
Furnace (I):
S(I) + O2(g) SO2(g)

Converter (II):
2SO2(g) + O2(g) 2SO3(g)

Absorber (III):
SO3(g) + H2SO4(l) H2S2O7(l)

Absorber (III):
H2S2O7(l) + H2O(l) 2H2SO4(l)
SO3(g) + H2O(l) H2SO4(l)

Industrial Chemistry Lecture: Global Chemical Industry Sectors

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– Inorganic Chemicals
Inorganic Chemicals: Phosphorus and Phosphates

• Phosphorus is commercially available as:

• Elemental (P4 ):
• White / yellow
• Red
• Phosphates
• Processed from “phosphate rock” which is sourced from
fluoroapatite (3Ca3(PO4)2.CaF2)

Industrial Chemistry Lecture: Global Chemical Industry Sectors

11
– Inorganic Chemicals
Inorganic Chemicals: Phosphorus and Phosphates

Top global producers of elemental phosphorus

Country Share of global annual tonnage capacity
China 84%
Kazakhstan 6
USA 5
EU 5

Industrial Chemistry Lecture: Global Chemical Industry Sectors

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– Inorganic Chemicals
Inorganic Chemicals: Phosphorus and Phosphates

Industrial Chemistry Lecture: Global Chemical Industry Sectors

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– Inorganic Chemicals
Inorganic Chemicals: Phosphorus and Phosphates
Phosphorus
Use
compound
Uses of Elemental Phosphorus
Ca(H2PO4)2·H2O Baking powder and fertilizers
CaHPO4·2H2O Food additives
H3PO4 Fertilizers, consumer products
Organophosphorus compounds:
PCl3 Herbicides
Acid chlorides for pharmaceuticals
POCl3 Chlorinating agent, plasticizers
P4S10 or P2S5 Additives, pesticides
Na5P3O10 Detergents
PH3 Flameproofing derivatives, pest control
Phosphides
Fumigants, rodent killer
(Ca3P2, Zn3P2)
Industrial Chemistry Lecture: Global Chemical Industry Sectors
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– Inorganic Chemicals
Inorganic Chemicals: Phosphorus and
Phosphates

Phosphorus conversions:

White phosphorus production

Red phosphorus production

PCl3 production:

Industrial Chemistry Lecture: Global Chemical Industry Sectors

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– Inorganic Chemicals
Inorganic Chemicals: Phosphorus and Phosphates

P4 (white) production H3PO4 production

Industrial Chemistry Lecture: Global Chemical Industry Sectors

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– Inorganic Chemicals
Inorganic Chemicals: Nitrogen, Nitric Acid and
Ammonia

• Sources:
• Atmosphere – 75.5% N2
• Natural gas
• Ores: Saltpeter (KNO3), Chilean saltpeter (NaNO3)
• Living matter

• Commercially produced and processed into NH3, HNO3 & their

derivatives

Industrial Chemistry Lecture: Global Chemical Industry Sectors

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– Inorganic Chemicals
Inorganic Chemicals: Nitrogen, Nitric Acid and
Ammonia

HNO3 usage NH3 usage

Industrial Chemistry Lecture: Global Chemical Industry Sectors

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– Inorganic Chemicals
Inorganic Chemicals: Nitrogen, Nitric Acid and
Ammonia

Industrial Chemistry Lecture: Global Chemical Industry Sectors

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– Inorganic Chemicals
Inorganic Chemicals: Nitrogen, Nitric Acid and
Ammonia

Industrial Chemistry Lecture: Global Chemical Industry Sectors – Inorganic Chemicals 20

Inorganic Chemicals: Potassium

• Sourced mostly from ores

• sylvinite (KCl & NaCl)
• langbeinite (K2SO4·2MgSO4)
• feldspar

• Commercially produced and available as potassium salts

(chlorides, sulfates, nitrates)

• Major use: Fertilizers (93% of global production)

Industrial Chemistry Lecture: Global Chemical Industry Sectors

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– Inorganic Chemicals
Inorganic Chemicals: Potassium

Industrial Chemistry Lecture: Global Chemical Industry Sectors

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– Inorganic Chemicals