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1、ReadingMaterial11ChemicalIndustry1.DefinitionoftheChemicalIndustryAttheturnofthecenturytherehadbeenlittledifficultyindefiningwhatconstitutedthechemicalindustrysinceonlyaverylimitedrangeofproductswasmanufacturedandthesewereclearlychemicals,e.g.,alkali,
2、sulfuricacid.Atpresent,however,manythousandsofchemicalsareproduced,fromrawmaterialslikecrudeoilthrough(insomecases)manyintermediatestoproductswhichmaybeuseddirectlyasconsumergoods,orreadilyconvertedintothem.Thedifficultycomesindecidingatwhichpointinth
3、issequencetheparticularoperationceasestobepartofthechemicalindustry’ssphereofactivities.Toconsideraspecificexampletoillustratethisdilemma,emulsionpaintsmaycontainpoly(vuby1chloride)/poly(viny1acetate).Clearly,synthesisofviny1chloride(oracetate)anditsp
4、olymerizationatechemicalactivities.However,ifformulationandmixingofthepaint,includingthepolymer,iscarriedoutbyabranchofthemultinationalchemicalcompanieswhichmanufacturedtheingredients,isthisstillpartofthechemicalindustryordoesitnowbelonginthedecoratin
5、gindustry?Itisthereforeapparentthat,becauseofficediversityofoperationsandcloselinksonmanyareaswithotherindustries,thereisnosimpledefinitionofthechemicalindustry.Insteadeachofficialbodywhichcollectsandpublishesstatisticsonmanufacturingindustrywillhavei
6、tsdefinitionastowhichoperationsareclassifiedas“thechemicalindustry".Itisimportanttobeartheseinmindwhencomparingstatisticalinformationwhichisderivedfromseveralsources.Themajorchemicalcompaniesaretrulymultinationalandoperatetheirsalesandmarketingactivit
7、iesinmostofthecountriesoftheworld,andtheyalsohavemanufacturingunitsinanumberofcountries.Thisinternationaloutlookforoperations,orglobalization,isagrowingtrendwithinchemicalindustry,withcompaniesexpandingtheiractivitieseitherbyerectingmanufacturingunits
8、inothercountriesorbytakingovercompanieswhicharealreadyoperatingthere.Individualmanufacturingplantshavecapacitiesrangingfromjustafewtonsperyearinthefinechemicalsareatotherealgiantsinthefertilizerandpetrochemicalsectorswhichrangeupto500000tonnes
