《化学工程与工艺专业英语》课文翻译.pdfVIP

Unit1ChemicalIndustry

化学工业

Beforereadingthetextbelow,trytoanswerfollowingquestion:

I.Whendidthemodemchemicalindustrystart?

2.Canyougiveadefinitionforthechemicalindustiy?

.Whatarcthecontributionwhichthechemicalindustryhasmadeto

meetandsatisfyourneeds?

4.Isthechemicalindustrycapital-orlabor-intensive?V/hy?

1.OriginsoftheChemicalIndustry

Althoughtheuseofchemicalsdatesbacktotheancientcivilizations,theevolutionofwhatwe

knowasthemodemchemicalindustrystartedmuchmorerecently1(maybeconsideredtohave

begunduringtheIndustrialRevolution,about1800,anddevelopedtoprovidechemicalsroeuse

byotherindustries.Examplesarealkaliforsoapmaking,bleachingpowderfbrcotton,andsilica

andsodiumcarbonatefbrglassmaking.Itwillbenotedthatthesearcallinorganicchemicals.The

organicchemicalsindustrystartedinthe1860swiththeexploitationofWilliamHenryPerkins

discovciyifthefirstsyntheticdyestuff-mauve.Atthestartofthetwentiethcenturytheemphasis

onresearchontheappliedaspectsofchemistryinGermanyhadpaidoffhandsomely,andby1914

hadresultedintheGermanchemicalindustryhaving75%oftheworldmarketinchemicals.This

wasbasedonthediscoveryofnewdyestuffsplusthedevelopmentofboththecontactprocessfor

sulphuricacidandtheHaberprocessforammonia.Thelaterrequiredamajortechnological

breakthroughthatofbeingabletocarryoutchemicalreactionsunderconditionsofveryhigh

pressureforthefirsttime.Theexperiencegainedw