华东理工大学计算机专业英语,化学工程与工艺专业英语翻译(华东理工大学_最完整版本).pdf...

Unit 1 Chemical Industry

化学工业

Before reading the text below, try to answer following question:

1. When did the modern chemical industry start?

2. Can you give a definition for the chemical industry?

3. What are the contribution which the chemical industry has made to

meet and satisfy our needs?

4. Is the chemical industry capital- or labor-intensive? Why?

1.Origins of the Chemical Industry

Although the use of chemicals dates back to the ancient civilizations, the evolution of what we know as the

modern chemical industry started much more recently. It may be considered to have begun during the Industrial

Revolution, about 1800, and developed to provide chemicals roe use by other industries. Examples are alkali for

soapmaking, bleaching powder for cotton, and silica and sodium carbonate for glassmaking. It will be noted that

these are all inorganic chemicals. The organic chemicals industry started in the 1860s with the exploitation of

William Henry Perkin’s discovery if the first synthetic dyestuff—mauve. At the start of the twentieth century the

emphasis on research on the applied aspects of chemistry in Germany had paid off handsomely, and by 1914 had

resulted in the German chemical industry having 75% of the world market in chemicals. This was based on the

discovery of new dyestuffs plus the development of both the contact process for sulphuric acid and the Haber

process for ammonia. The later required a major technological breakthrough that of being able to carry out

chemical reactions under conditions of very high pressure for the first time. The experience gained with this was to

stand Germany in good stead, particularly