Inorganic Chemicals

Inorganic chemicals are a vast category of chemical compounds that generally do not contain carbon-hydrogen bonds. They are typically derived from mineral sources and play fundamental roles as raw materials, processing aids, and finished products across almost all industrial sectors.

Types of Inorganic Chemicals

Acids: Sulfuric acid (H2?SO4?), Hydrochloric acid (HCl), Nitric acid (HNO3?), Phosphoric acid (H3?PO4?).

Bases/Alkalis: Sodium Hydroxide (NaOH, Caustic Soda), Potassium Hydroxide (KOH), Ammonia (NH3?).

Salts: Sodium Chloride (NaCl), Calcium Carbonate (CaCO3?), Ammonium Nitrate (NH4?NO3?), Sodium Carbonate (Na2?CO3?, Soda Ash).

Oxides: Titanium Dioxide (TiO2?), Zinc Oxide (ZnO), Aluminum Oxide (Al2?O3?).

Gases: Chlorine (Cl2?), Oxygen (O2?), Nitrogen (N2?), Hydrogen (H2?), Carbon Dioxide (CO2?).

Non-metallic Elements: Sulfur (S), Phosphorus (P), Silicon (Si).

Metallic Compounds: Various metal salts, oxides, and hydroxides.

Industrial Minerals: Limestone, silica, clay, gypsum.

Applications in Various Industries

Chemical Manufacturing: Used as basic building blocks for synthesizing more complex chemicals (both inorganic and organic).

Agriculture: Fertilizers (ammonium nitrate, superphosphate), soil amendments (lime), pesticides.

Water Treatment: Coagulants (aluminum sulfate), disinfectants (chlorine, hypochlorite), pH adjusters (lime, soda ash).

Metallurgy: Ore processing, metal refining, fluxing agents (limestone), pickling acids.

Construction: Cement production (limestone, gypsum), concrete additives, glass manufacturing (silica, soda ash).

Pulp & Paper: Bleaching agents (chlorine dioxide, sodium hypochlorite), pH control.

Textiles: Dyeing, bleaching, finishing agents.

Food & Beverage: pH control, cleaning agents, leavening agents (baking soda).

Electronics: Semiconductor manufacturing (high-purity silicon, etching chemicals).

Technology: Production often involves large-scale chemical engineering processes such as electrolysis (chlorine, sodium hydroxide), Haber-Bosch process (ammonia), contact process (sulfuric acid), and various precipitation, filtration, and crystallization methods. Emphasis on process efficiency, energy consumption, and environmental management of byproducts.

Material Selection Considerations

• Chemical Reactivity: The primary consideration. Materials for storage, transport, and reaction vessels must be resistant to corrosion and degradation by specific acids, bases, oxidizers, or other reactive inorganic chemicals.
• Carbon Steel: For less corrosive applications (e.g., concentrated sulfuric acid, ammonia).
• Stainless Steel (various grades): For a wide range of corrosive conditions, depends on specific chemical and concentration.
• Alloys (Hastelloy, Inconel): For extremely aggressive chemicals or high-temperature/pressure environments.
• Plastics (PVC, HDPE, PP, PVDF, PTFE): For highly corrosive acids, bases, or where metal contamination is undesirable.
• Glass-lined Steel: For highly corrosive acids (e.g., HCl, nitric acid) where metal is not suitable.
• Rubber Linings: For certain acids and abrasive slurries.
• Temperature & Pressure: Materials must maintain mechanical integrity under process conditions.
• Purity Requirements: For high-purity chemicals (e.g., electronics grade), ultra-pure materials and contamination-free handling are essential.
• Safety: Consideration of flammability, toxicity, and reactivity for safe handling, storage, and transportation.
• Regulatory Compliance: Adherence to regulations concerning storage, emissions, and disposal.