Chemical process industry

Article By:

Furter, William F. Royal Military College of Canada, Kingston, Ontario.

Last reviewed:October 2019

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1036/1097-8542.127600

An industry, abbreviated CPI, in which the raw materials undergo chemical conversion during their processing into finished products, as well as (or instead of) the physical conversions common to industry in general. In the chemical process industry the products differ chemically from the raw materials as a result of undergoing one or more chemical reactions during the manufacturing process. The chemical process industries broadly include the traditional chemical industries, both organic and inorganic; the petroleum industry; the petrochemical industry, which produces the majority of plastics, synthetic fibers, and synthetic rubber from petroleum and natural-gas raw materials; and a series of allied industries in which chemical processing plays a substantial part. While the chemical process industries are primarily the realm of the chemical engineer and the chemist, they also involve a wide range of other scientific, engineering, and economic specialists.

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