What are the 5 most common industrial chemicals?

Industrial chemicals are essential components in a wide range of manufacturing processes, from the production of basic materials to the creation of complex products. These most used chemicals in industry play a crucial role in various sectors, driving innovation and supporting the global economy.

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What Are Industrial Chemicals? 

Industrial chemicals are substances that are produced or used in industrial processes. They can be either naturally occurring or synthetically manufactured and are used in a variety of applications, from manufacturing and construction to pharmaceuticals and consumer goods. These chemicals are often characterized by their specific properties, such as reactivity, solubility, and stability, which make them suitable for particular uses.

Types of Industrial Chemicals

Industrial chemicals can be broadly categorized into several types based on their chemical nature and applications:

• Inorganic Chemicals: These include acids, bases, salts, and other non-carbon-based compounds.

• Organic Chemicals: These are carbon-based compounds, such as alcohols, esters, and hydrocarbons.

• Specialty Chemicals: These are high-value, low-volume chemicals used in specific applications, such as adhesives, dyes, and catalysts.

• Bulk Chemicals: These are large-volume, low-cost chemicals used in a wide range of industries, such as petrochemicals, solvents, and polymers.

The 5 Most Common Industrial Chemicals

Let's delve into the five most commonly used industrial chemicals, exploring their properties, applications, and real-world examples.

Sulfuric Acid

Sulfuric Acid (H'SO') is one of the most widely used industrial chemicals, with over 200 million tons produced annually. It is a strong, corrosive acid with a pungent smell and is highly reactive.

• Applications:

• Manufacturing: Used in the production of fertilizers, detergents, and batteries.

• Pharmaceuticals: Essential in the synthesis of various drugs and pharmaceuticals.

• Mining: Employed in the processing of ores and extraction of metals.

• Water Treatment: Used to adjust pH levels and remove impurities in water treatment plants.

• Example: A common household example of sulfuric acid is in car batteries, where it serves as the electrolyte.

Sodium Hydroxide

Sodium Hydroxide (NaOH), also known as caustic soda, is a strong, highly reactive base. It is a white, crystalline solid that dissolves readily in water, releasing a significant amount of heat.

• Applications:

• Pulp and Paper: Used in the pulping process to break down wood fibers.

• Textiles: Employed in the mercerization process to improve the strength and luster of cotton.

• Soaps and Detergents: A key ingredient in the saponification process for making soaps and detergents.

• Food Processing: Used in the peeling of fruits and vegetables and in the production of certain food additives.

• Example: In the kitchen, sodium hydroxide is used to unclog drains and clean ovens due to its powerful alkaline properties.

Propylene

Propylene (C'H') is a colorless, flammable gas that is a byproduct of oil refining and natural gas processing. It is a key building block for many important organic compounds.

• Applications:

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• Plastics: Used in the production of polypropylene, a versatile plastic used in packaging, textiles, and automotive parts.

• Chemicals: A precursor for the synthesis of various chemicals, including propylene oxide and acrylonitrile.

• Fuels: Blended with gasoline to enhance octane ratings and improve engine performance.

• Example: Polypropylene is commonly used in the production of plastic containers, such as those for yogurt and margarine.

Ethylene

Ethylene (C'H') is a colorless, flammable gas and is the simplest alkene. It is a fundamental building block in the petrochemical industry.

• Applications:

• Plastics: Used in the production of polyethylene, the most widely used plastic in the world.

• Agriculture: Applied as a plant hormone to ripen fruits and control flowering.

• Chemicals: A key intermediate in the production of ethylene oxide, ethanol, and other chemicals.

• Example: Ethylene is used to ripen bananas and other fruits, ensuring they are ready for consumption when they reach the market.

Nitrogen

Nitrogen (N') is a colorless, odorless, and inert gas that makes up about 78% of Earth's atmosphere. It is a critical component in many industrial processes.

• Applications:

• Fertilizers: Used in the production of ammonia, a key ingredient in nitrogen-based fertilizers.

• Refrigeration: Used as a cryogenic fluid in the cooling and freezing of food and medical supplies.

• Metals: Employed in the annealing and hardening of metals, as well as in the removal of oxygen during the smelting process.

• Electronics: Used in the manufacture of semiconductors and other electronic components to create an inert atmosphere.

• Example: Liquid nitrogen is used in the medical field for cryopreservation of biological samples and in dermatology for the removal of warts and skin tags.

Conclusion 

The most used chemicals in industry, such as sulfuric acid, sodium hydroxide, propylene, ethylene, and nitrogen, are indispensable in modern manufacturing and daily life. Their versatility and unique properties make them essential for a wide range of applications, from the production of everyday items to the advancement of cutting-edge technologies. Understanding these chemicals and their roles in various sectors is crucial for anyone involved in the chemical and manufacturing industries.

By recognizing the importance of these common industrial chemicals, we can better appreciate the complexity and interconnectivity of the global industrial landscape. Whether in the form of a car battery, a plastic container, or a ripe banana, these chemicals are integral to our daily lives and the functioning of the modern world.

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The figure below presents the top 10 sectors based on the greatest production volume quantities reported for . Sectors are defined by the 3-digit North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) codes corresponding to the CDR reporting sites. These codes provide a general idea of the intended uses of the chemicals. The figure shows the total chemical production volume, number of chemicals, and number of sites that reported from each of the top 10 sectors.

• The sites in the top 10 sectors account for 7.1 trillion pounds (more than 98%) of the total production volume reported in the CDR cycle.
• The top 2 sectors are Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing and Chemical Manufacturing, which respectively accounted for 64% and 14% of the reported production volumes.
  • The corresponding production volume per site is 12.59 billion lb/site for Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing and 0.46 billion lb/site for Chemical Manufacturing.
• The top sector for number of sites and chemicals is Chemical Manufacturing with 84% of all chemicals ( of the total chemicals) and 43% of all sites ( of the total sites) reporting the 325 NAICS code.
• Related to chemical importers, the sector "Merchant Wholesalers, Nondurable Goods" accounts for the second-greatest number of chemicals and sites. This is likely because wholesalers import bulk chemicals before selling to processors/users in various industries.

The table below lists the top 50 chemicals by reported production volume. The "Chemical or Industry Group" column is based on the chemical or industry group, reported at the 6-digit NAICS code level for the site or other processing and use information for each chemical. The first chemical listed was produced by the pulp and paper industry. The next eight chemicals were produced during the refining of petroleum. The first ten chemicals listed comprise more than 24 percent of the total reported production volume for all chemicals. The full list of top 50 chemicals by reported production volume account for almost 64 percent of the reported production volume for all chemicals. Due to confidentiality, exact chemical production volumes cannot be presented; instead, production volume ranges are provided.

CDR Chemicals with the Highest Reported Production Volumes

Rank by PV Range and Site Count CAS Number Chemical Name Chemical or Industry Group Production Volume Range (lb/yr)* Number of Reporting Sites 1 -33-9 Sulfite liquors and Cooking liquors, white Pulp and Paper Industry ' 200 billion lb 96 2 -56-6 Residues (petroleum), vacuum Petroleum and Petroleum Products ' 200 billion lb 93 3 -05-9 Petroleum Petroleum and Petroleum Products ' 200 billion lb 38 4 -45-3 Residues (petroleum), atm. tower Petroleum and Petroleum Products 190 ' <200 billion lb 55 5 -20-6 Kerosine (petroleum) Petroleum and Petroleum Products 180 ' <190 billion lb 126 6 74-98-6 Propane Petroleum and Petroleum Products 140 ' <150 billion lb 202 7 -80-9 Distillates (petroleum), hydrodesulfurized middle Petroleum and Petroleum Products 130 ' <140 billion lb 35 8 -57-7 Gas oils (petroleum), heavy vacuum Petroleum and Petroleum Products 120 ' <130 billion lb 85 9 -46-7 Distillates (petroleum), hydrotreated middle Petroleum and Petroleum Products 120 ' <130 billion lb 72 10 -85-3 Calcium oxide silicate Pulp and Paper Industry 110 ' <120 billion lb 119 11 -79-3 Coke (petroleum) Petroleum and Petroleum Products 110 ' <120 billion lb 67 12 -54-4 Naphtha (petroleum), heavy catalytic cracked Petroleum and Petroleum Products 110 ' <120 billion lb 60 13 -34-6 Fuels, diesel, no. 2 Petroleum and Petroleum Products 110 ' <120 billion lb 53 14 64-17-5 Ethanol Organic Chemicals 100 ' <110 billion lb 267 15 -44-2 Distillates (petroleum), straight-run middle Petroleum and Petroleum Products 100 ' <110 billion lb 89 16 124-38-9 Carbon dioxide Inorganic Chemicals 90 ' <100 billion lb 117 17 -48-9 Naphtha (petroleum), hydrotreated heavy Petroleum and Petroleum Products 90 ' <100 billion lb 99 18 -55-5 Naphtha (petroleum), light catalytic cracked Petroleum and Petroleum Products 90 ' <100 billion lb 72 19 -81-0 Kerosine (petroleum), hydrodesulfurized Petroleum and Petroleum Products 90 ' <100 billion lb 58 20 106-97-8 Butane Petroleum and Petroleum Products 80 ' <90 billion lb 173 21 -49-0 Naphtha (petroleum), hydrotreated light Petroleum and Petroleum Products 80 ' <90 billion lb 84 22 -46-4 Naphtha (petroleum), light straight-run Petroleum and Petroleum Products 80 ' <90 billion lb 75 23 -64-6 Naphtha (petroleum), full-range alkylate Petroleum and Petroleum Products 80 ' <90 billion lb 74 24 -42-0 Naphtha (petroleum), full-range straight-run Petroleum and Petroleum Products 80 ' <90 billion lb 63 25 -68-0 Naphtha (petroleum), heavy catalytic reformed Petroleum and Petroleum Products 80 ' <90 billion lb 62 26 74-84-0 Ethane Organic Chemicals 80 ' <90 billion lb 60 27 -30-5 Fuels, diesel Petroleum and Petroleum Products 80 ' <90 billion lb 37 28 -93-9 Sulfuric acid Acids 70 ' <80 billion lb 175 29 -59-9 Distillates (petroleum), light catalytic cracked Petroleum and Petroleum Products 70 ' <80 billion lb 87 30 -41-9 Naphtha (petroleum), heavy straight-run Petroleum and Petroleum Products 70 ' <80 billion lb 68 31 74-85-1 Ethene Organic Chemicals 60 ' <70 billion lb 32 32 -67-0 Iron, furnace Raw Metals Processing 60 ' <70 billion lb 15 33 -30-2 Fuel oil, no. 2 Petroleum and Petroleum Products 60 ' <70 billion lb 13 34 -58-8 Gas oils (petroleum), light vacuum Petroleum and Petroleum Products 50 ' <60 billion lb 60 35 -43-1 Gas oils (petroleum), straight-run Petroleum and Petroleum Products 50 ' <60 billion lb 56 36 -63-5 Naphtha (petroleum), light catalytic reformed Petroleum and Petroleum Products 50 ' <60 billion lb 53 37 -35-1 Naphtha (petroleum), catalytic reformed Petroleum and Petroleum Products 50 ' <60 billion lb 41 38 -37-9 Naphtha (petroleum), full-range reformed Petroleum and Petroleum Products 50 ' <60 billion lb 34 39 -59-2 Gas oils (petroleum), hydrotreated vacuum Petroleum and Petroleum Products 50 ' <60 billion lb 19 40 -74-8 Ashes (residues) Incineration Byproducts 40 ' <50 billion lb 295 41 -34-9 Sulfur Agricultural chemicals (non-pesticidal) 40 ' <50 billion lb 163 42 -41-7 Ammonia Agricultural chemicals (non-pesticidal) 40 ' <50 billion lb 128 43 75-28-5 Propane, 2-methyl- Petroleum and Petroleum Products 40 ' <50 billion lb 123 44 -42-4 Asphalt Petroleum and Petroleum Products 40 ' <50 billion lb 85 45 -81-7 Distillates (petroleum), heavy thermal cracked Petroleum and Petroleum Products 40 ' <50 billion lb 41 46 -82-1 Naphtha (petroleum), hydrodesulfurized heavy Petroleum and Petroleum Products 40 ' <50 billion lb 39 47 -79-6 Gas oils (petroleum), hydrodesulfurized Petroleum and Petroleum Products 40 ' <50 billion lb 22 48 -17-1 Residues (petroleum), heavy coker gas oil and vacuum gas oil Petroleum and Petroleum Products 40 ' <50 billion lb 16 49 -04-0 Gases (petroleum), heavy distillate hydrotreater desulfurization stripper off Petroleum and Petroleum Products 40 ' <50 billion lb 7 50 -65-8 Iron ores, agglomerates Raw Metals Processing 40 ' <50 billion lb 5

*Due to confidentiality, the chemicals are listed by PV range rather than aggregated PV

The table below shows the chemicals reported based on highest number of manufacturing (including import) sites. Sorting by number of reporting sites shows a greater variety in industrial activity and chemical uses (as shown in the 'Chemical or Industry Group' column) compared to sorting by production volume. Only two of the first ten chemicals, propane and butane, are produced during petroleum refining. Ashes (residues) or fly ash, the first chemical listed, are typically produced from power generation via combustion of a fuel source (e.g., coal, petroleum) and consist primarily of silicon dioxide (amorphous and crystalline) and calcium oxide. Due to confidentiality, exact chemical production volumes cannot be presented; instead, production volume ranges are provided.

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CDR Chemicals with the Highest Site Count

Rank by PV Range and Site Count CAS Number Chemical Name Chemical or Industry Group Production Volume Range (lb/yr)* Number of Reporting Sites 1 -74-8 Ashes (residues)
(also known as fly ash) Incineration Byproducts 40 ' <50 billion lb 295 2 64-17-5 Ethanol Organic Chemicals 100 ' <110 billion lb 267 3 -86-9 Silica Raw Mineral Processing 1 ' <5 billion lb 216 4 74-98-6 Propane Petroleum and Petroleum Products 140 ' <150 billion lb 202 5 -28-1 Aluminum oxide Raw Metals Processing 1 ' <5 billion lb 186 6 -67-7 Titanium oxide Raw Metals Processing 1 ' <5 billion lb 182 7 -93-9 Sulfuric acid Acids 70 ' <80 billion lb 175 8 106-97-8 Butane Petroleum and Petroleum Products 80 ' <90 billion lb 173 9 -62-0 Calcium hydroxide Pulp and Paper Industry 10 ' <20 billion lb 172 10 -34-9 Sulfur Agricultural Chemicals (non-pesticidal) 40 ' <50 billion lb 163 11 -86-4 Carbon black Incineration Byproducts 1 ' <5 billion lb 161 12 -30-7 Corn oil Organic Chemical Manufacturing 1 ' <5 billion lb 150 13 -90-5 Aluminum Raw Metals Processing 10 ' <20 billion lb 149 14 471-34-1 Carbonic acid calcium salt (1:1) Acids 5 ' <10 billion lb 149 15 -73-2 Sodium hydroxide Organic Chemical Manufacturing 20 ' <30 billion lb 143 16 -74-0 Hydrogen Hydrogen 5 ' <10 billion lb 140 17 -01-0 Hydrochloric acid Acids 10 ' <20 billion lb 132 18 -41-7 Ammonia Agricultural chemicals (non-pesticidal) 40 ' <50 billion lb 128 19 -20-6 Kerosine (petroleum) Petroleum and Petroleum Products 180 ' <190 billion lb 126 20 -89-6 Iron Raw Metals Processing 5 ' <10 billion lb 125 21 56-81-5 1,2,3-Propanetriol (also known as glycerin or glycerol) Surfactants 1 ' <5 billion lb 125 22 75-28-5 Propane, 2-methyl- Petroleum and Petroleum Products 40 ' <50 billion lb 123 23 -85-3 Calcium oxide silicate Cement Manufacturing 110 ' <120 billion lb 119 24 -50-8 Copper Raw Metals Processing 1 ' <5 billion lb 119 25 124-38-9 Carbon dioxide Incineration Byproducts 90 ' <100 billion lb 117 26 -77-2 Silicic acid, calcium salt (1:2) Cement Manufacturing 20 ' <30 billion lb 117 27 -35-8 Aluminum calcium iron oxide Cement Manufacturing 10 ' <20 billion lb 117 28 67-56-1 Methanol Organic Chemical Manufacturing 10 ' <20 billion lb 117 29 -78-3 Aluminum calcium oxide Cement Manufacturing 10 ' <20 billion lb 116 30 108-88-3 Benzene, methyl- (also known as toluene) Petroleum and Petroleum Products 20 ' <30 billion lb 114 31 -74-9 Mill scale (ferrous metal) Raw Metals Processing 1 ' <5 billion lb 113 32 -47-8 Distillates (petroleum), hydrotreated light Petroleum and Petroleum Products 30 ' <40 billion lb 111 33 -13-2 Zinc oxide Inorganic Chemical Manufacturing 0.5 ' <0.75 billion lb 109 34 -20-7 Benzene, dimethyl- (also known as xylene, mixed isomers or xylenes) Petroleum and Petroleum Products 10 ' <20 billion lb 108 35 -19-5 Steel manufacture, chemicals Raw Metals Processing 10 ' <20 billion lb 105 36 -48-9 Naphtha (petroleum), hydrotreated heavy Petroleum and Petroleum Products 90 ' <100 billion lb 99 37 -78-8 Calcium oxide (also known as quick lime) Lime Manufacturing 20 ' <30 billion lb 98 38 -33-9 Sulfite liquors and Cooking liquors, white Pulp and Paper Industry ' 200 billion lb 96 39 -71-6 Slags, steelmaking Raw Metals Processing 20 ' <30 billion lb 96 40 67-63-0 2-Propanol Solvents 1 ' <5 billion lb 94 41 -56-6 Residues (petroleum), vacuum Petroleum and Petroleum Products ' 200 billion lb 93 42 -01-5 Tall oil, sodium salt Pulp and Paper Industry 1 ' <5 billion lb 93 43 -82-6 Sulfuric acid sodium salt (1:2) Pulp and Paper Industry 0.75 ' <1 billion lb 93 44 57-13-6 Urea Agricultural chemicals (non-pesticidal) 30 ' <40 billion lb 91 45 -17-3 Glass, oxide, chemicals Miscellaneous Chemical Product and Preparation Manufacturing 5 ' <10 billion lb 91 46 -21-6 Ammonium hydroxide Agricultural chemicals (non-pesticidal) 1 ' <5 billion lb 90 47 -44-2 Distillates (petroleum), straight-run middle Petroleum and Petroleum Products 100 ' <110 billion lb 89 48 -59-9 Distillates (petroleum), light catalytic cracked Petroleum and Petroleum Products 70 ' <80 billion lb 87 49 -26-9 Wastes, petroleum Petroleum and Petroleum Products 20 ' <30 billion lb 87 50 -01-3 Sulfuric acid, aluminum salt (3:2) Raw Metals Processing 1 ' <5 billion lb 86