Industrial Chemicals 

Common Industrial Chemicals and Their Uses

There are numerous Industrial chemicals available in the market as per their physical forms and concentrations that can be used in a wide range of applications across several industries. The most commonly used and popular ones are: 

Potassium Carbonate Anhydrous: Also known as potash peal, this compound is available in white crystalline form. It is commonly used in applications, such as glass manufacturing, food processing, pharmaceutical production, and photography.

Lithium Sulfate: This water-soluble inorganic compound is formulated by using lithium, sulfur, and oxygen atoms. It is in high demand in battery making, manufacturing of glass, treatment for bipolar disorder, laboratories, and many more.

Tri Potassium Phosphate: It is an inorganic class compound that shows excellent solubility in water. It can be used as a food additive, fertilizer, water softener, and industrial cleaner.

Calcium Nitrite Powder: Having a chemical formula of (Ca(NO2)2), this water-soluble compound can be used in applications such as anti-freezing, waste-water treatment, food preservatives, and many more.

Disodium Phosphate: Made up of sodium, phosphorus, and oxygen atoms, this colorless crystalline powder has several uses which are acidity regulation, water softening, chemical processing, flame suppression, and analytical chemistry.

Importance of Industrial Chemicals:

Industrial chemicals show great importance in a wide range of day-to-day applications within commercial and industrial sectors. These highly active compounds are used in agriculture, manufacturing, chemical processing, construction, textiles, pharmaceuticals, and more. They are highly essential as it would be impractical to produce a wide variety of goods that we rely on every day. These organic and inorganic chemicals are also beneficial in various healthcare applications. Using industrial chemicals improves the production rate and quality of yield which ultimately lead to the growth and development of the economy. The offered compounds enhance efficiency and help to reduce waste and production costs.

Types of Industrial Chemicals:

Industrial Chemicals can be classified into various categories as per their chemical behavior and physical properties. Some of the common types are listed below: 

Acids: Also known as proton donors, these compounds have a pH value of less than 7. The most commonly used acids are nitric, hydrochloric acid, phosphoric, acetic acid, and sulfuric. 

Bases: These alkaline chemicals have a higher concentration of hydroxide ions in comparison to hydrogen ions. They are commonly used in applications such as paper & pulp, textile, water treatment, pharmaceutical, and many more.

Solvents: These highly soluble liquid based-compounds are widely used in commercial and industrial applications such as paints, chemical processing, adhesives, and lubrication. 

Oxidizers: These types of industrial chemicals are utilized for oxidization purposes. Industries, like fertilizer, dye, wastewater treatment, food processing, chemical, and more mainly use potassium permanganate, chlorine, nitric acid, hydrogen peroxide, and sodium chlorate as oxidizing agents.

Industrial Salts: These are inorganic compounds that find use in many industrial applications, like wastewater treatment, chemical production, food processing, and agriculture.

Applications of Industrial Chemicals

Industrial chemicals available in the form of solid, liquid, powder, and granules are widely used in many industrial and commercial applications. Given below are some of their most common applications:

• Water treatment: Chemicals such as chlorine, ferric chloride, polymers, activated carbon, sodium bicarbonate, and aluminum sulfate are used to treat water by removing impurities and contaminants, and adjusting pH levels.
• Chemical manufacturing: Many industrial chemicals are used as raw materials in the production of other chemicals.
• Agriculture: In the agricultural sector, chemicals such as potassium, nitrogen, phosphorus, and others are commonly used as pesticides, fertilizers, and herbicides to improve crop quality and increase yield.
• Mining: The chemicals in the mining industry are beneficial for extricating various types of elements such as ores, metals, and rocky substances.
• Energy production: Some industrial chemicals are used to extract and process combustible fuels.
• Construction: The industrial chemicals that are used in the production of construction materials are meant to enhance the physical strength of any structure.

Tips on Safety and Regulations:

No use of proper safety regulations while handling industrial chemicals can lead to accidents. A few safety measures that workers must follow when storing, handling, or transporting industrial chemicals are mentioned below:

• Always go through the safety and regulation instructions provided by the sellers.
• Store toxic chemicals in a separate place.
• Follow safe handling methods and equipment while handling and using them to prevent any kind of accident.
• As the disposal of used chemicals openly in the environment can cause environmental damage, therefore it is important to use safe disposal methods to protect the environment.

Choosing the Right Industrial Chemicals for Your Business

Selecting the right industrial chemicals for your business can be a complicated process. Given below are essential points that one needs to be considering while choosing the right chemical:

• Application Area: it is important to identify the intended use of the chemical; this will help you to narrow down the search area to easily get the required substances.
• Regulatory Compliance: Be aware of all necessary applicable regulations which include safety data sheets, chemical characteristic labeling, storage guidelines, handling procedures, and disposal regulations.
• Chemical Properties: It is vital to consider various chemical aspects such as chemical stability, density, incompatibility, boiling point, reactivity, and flash point. These factors help to understand how to store, use, and transport these chemicals. 
• Quality and Consistency: Factors such as purity, chemical concentration, and consistency become very important if compounds are going to be used as raw materials in various industrial applications.

FAQs: Industrial Chemicals

Q. What are industrial chemicals?

Ans: Industrial chemicals are highly reactive substances that can be used in several industrial sectors, such as agriculture, chemical manufacturing, cement, analytical laboratories, pharmaceuticals, waste-water treatment, construction, and many more. These compounds can be natural or synthetic and are available in different physical forms. Some of the popular chemicals are liquid solvents, pigments pesticides, bases, oxidizers, reagents, dyes, polymers, and alkalis. The offered chemical substances may cause mild to chronic side effects on direct contact with skin and eyes. 

Q. Are industrial chemicals safe?

Ans: There are many industrial chemicals that are toxic and carcinogenic in nature that cause health hazards and environmental damage in case they are recklessly used, handled, or disposed of. They are added with mild to harsh chemical ingredients, which is why there is always a high risk of chemical hazards when these substances come in direct contact with the human body and are disposed of in an open environment. There are natural chemicals available in the market, but they are also added with ingredients that may cause mild skin irritation and harsh side effects in case of excessive use. 

Q. Can industrial chemicals be harmful to the environment?

Ans: Industrial chemicals are harmful to the environment as they are prepared using mild to harsh toxic ingredients that may create an environmental imbalance if not used or disposed of properly. If released in an open atmosphere, these chemical substances can deteriorate the air, soil, and water. Abrupt climatic changes, global warming, floods, etc., are the results that are caused due to pollution caused by industrial chemicals in the air, land, and water. Apart from the environment, they are also dangerous for animals and humans causing long-term side effects. 

Q. What should I consider when choosing industrial chemicals for my business?

Ans: There are several factors that you need to keep in mind while choosing industrial chemicals. Some of the important points are mentioned below:

• Purpose: The first step is to narrow down your search by making a list of top-priority chemicals that are better suited for your business. 
• Safety: It is another important aspect that one needs to be considering while looking for chemicals because it is important to consider options that cause low risk to health and environmental risks.
• Compatibility: The chemicals you are selecting need to be compatible with the materials or equipment you are working with.
• Price: It is advisable to always go for options with balanced cost quality and safety ratio.
•  Environmental impact: The chemicals you are going to buy need to be environment-friendly and easily disposable.