What is chemical process technology?
Chemical Process Technology is the application of chemistry to industrial processes. It includes all aspects of chemical engineering, including design, construction, operation, maintenance, safety, quality control, economics, environmental impact assessment, etc., and the use of chemicals in these processes.
Types of chemical process technology:
In general, there are two types of chemical process technology; physical and biological. Physical methods involve the direct manipulation of matter, while biological techniques rely upon living organisms or their by-products. The following shows some examples of each type of method.
Physical methods
• Thermal distillation
• Vaporization
• Filtration
Biological methods
• Fermentation
• Biodegradation
• Microbial fermentation
• Bioleaching
• Enzymatic degradation
• Lignin decomposition
• Cellulose hydrolysis
• Alkaline hydrogen peroxide oxidation
• Chlorine dioxide bleaching
• Electrodialysis
Benefits of chemical process technology
There are many benefits associated with using chemical process technologies for a variety of industries. These include;
1) Energy efficiency
This means that less energy will be consumed when compared to traditional methods. For example, if you use steam or electricity to heat water, more energy would have been wasted than if we had used chemical processes. Also, since most chemical reactions require only small amounts of energy, they consume much less energy than heating up large quantities of water.
2) Safety
Since chemical reactions don’t involve combustion, they are considered safer than conventional technologies. There are no harmful gases produced during these operations, making them safe for humans and animals.
3) Environment-friendly
Chemicals are generally non-toxic substances, so they don’t harm our environment, unlike other manufacturing techniques. They are usually biodegradable and recyclable too.
4) Cost-effectiveness
Using chemical processes doesn’t cost as much as other alternatives because they are cheaper to operate. Another advantage is that they are easier to control and regulate.Applications of chemical process technology
The applications of Chemical Process Technology are numerous: from food processing to pharmaceuticals manufacturing; from pulp production to papermaking; from oil refining to petrochemicals manufacture; from textile dyeing to plastics fabrication; from metal finishing to glassmaking; from mining to mineral dressing; from water treatment to wastewater management; from energy generation to power plants; from agriculture to animal feed; from biotechnology to biofuels; from electronics to semiconductors.Final word
Chemical process technology has been used since ancient times. In fact, it was one of the first forms of technology that humans developed. Today we have advanced our knowledge about this field and can apply it to various fields such as medicine, industry, environment, science, and even art. With these overwhelming applications, I hope you enjoyed learning about what chemical process technology is!