Option — Industrial Chemistry

1. Industrial chemistry processes have enabled scientists to develop replacements for natural products

Students learn to:

Students:

  • discuss the issues associated with shrinking world resources with regard to one identified natural product that is not a fossil fuel, identifying the replacement materials used and/or current research in place to find a replacement for the named material
  • identify data, gather and process information to identify and discuss the issues associated with the increased need for a natural resource that is not a fossil fuel and evaluate the progress currently being made to solve the problems identified

 

2. Many industrial processes involve manipulation of equilibrium reactions

  • explain the effect of changing the following factors on identified equilibrium reactions

–     pressure
–     volume
–     concentration
–     temperature

  • identify data, plan and perform a first-hand investigation to model an equilibrium reaction
  • choose equipment and perform a first-hand investigation to gather information and qualitatively analyse an equilibrium reaction
  • process and present information from secondary sources to calculate K from equilibrium conditions
  • interpret the equilibrium constant expression (no units required) from the chemical equation of equilibrium reactions
  • identify that temperature is the only factor that changes the value of the equilibrium constant (K) for a given equation

 

3. Sulfuric acid is one of the most important industrial chemicals

Students learn to:

Students:

  • outline three uses of sulfuric acid in industry
  • gather, process and present information from secondary sources to describe the steps and chemistry involved in the industrial production of H2SO4 and use available evidence to analyse the process to predict ways in which the output of sulfuric acid can be maximised
  • perform first-hand investigations to observe the reactions of sulfuric acid acting as:

–     an oxidising agent
–     a dehydrating agent

  • use available evidence to relate the properties of sulfuric acid to safety precautions necessary for its transport and storage
  • describe the processes used to extract sulfur from mineral deposits, identifying the properties of sulfur which allow its extraction and analysing potential environmental issues that may be associated with its extraction
  • outline the steps and conditions necessary for the industrial production of H2SO4 from its raw materials
  • describe the reaction conditions necessary for the production of SO2 and SO
  • apply the relationship between rates of reaction and equilibrium conditions to the production of SO2 and SO3
  • describe, using examples, the reactions of sulfuric acid acting as:

–     an oxidising agent
–     a dehydrating agent

  • describe and explain the exothermic nature of sulfuric acid ionisation
  • identify and describe safety precautions that must be taken when using and diluting concentrated sulfuric acid

 

4.             The industrial production of sodium hydroxide requires the use of electrolysis

Students learn to:

Students:

  • explain the difference between galvanic cells and electrolytic cells in terms of energy requirements
  • identify data, plan and perform a first-hand investigation to identify the products of the electrolysis of sodium chloride
  • analyse information from secondary sources to predict and explain the different products of the electrolysis of aqueous and molten sodium chloride
  • outline the steps in the industrial production of sodium hydroxide from sodium chloride solution and describe the reaction in terms of net ionic and full formulae equations
  • distinguish between the three electrolysis methods used to extract sodium hydroxide:

–   mercury process
–   diaphragm process
–   membrane process

by describing each process and analysing the technical and environmental difficulties involved in each process

 

5.    Saponification is an important organic industrial process

Students learn to:

Students:

  • describe saponification as the conversion in basic solution of fats and oils to glycerol and salts of fatty acids
  • perform a first-hand investigation to carry out saponification and test the product
  • gather, process and present information from secondary sources to identify a range of fats and oils used for soap-making
  • perform a first-hand investigation to gather information and describe the properties of a named emulsion and relate these properties to its uses
  • perform a first-hand investigation to demonstrate the effect of soap as an emulsifier
  • solve problems and use available evidence to discuss, using examples, the environmental impacts of the use of soaps and detergents
  • describe the conditions under which saponification can be performed in the school laboratory and compare these with industrial preparation of soap
  • account for the cleaning action of soap by describing its structure
  • explain that soap, water and oil together form an emulsion with the soap acting as an emulsifier
  • distinguish between soaps and synthetic detergents in terms of:

–     the structure of the molecule
–     chemical composition
–     effect in hard water

  • distinguish between anionic, cationic and non-ionic synthetic detergents in terms of:

–     chemical composition
–     uses

 

6. The Solvay process has been in use since the 1860s

Students learn to:

Students:

  • identify the raw materials used in the Solvay process and name the products
  • perform a first-hand investigation to assess risk factors and then carry out a chemical step involved in the Solvay process, identifying any difficulties associated with the laboratory modelling of the step
  • process information to solve problems and quantitatively analyse the relative quantities of reactants and products in each step of the process
  • use available evidence to determine the criteria used to locate a chemical industry using the Solvay process as an example
  • describe the uses of sodium carbonate
  • identify, given a flow chart, the sequence of steps used in the Solvay process and describe the chemistry involved in:

–     brine purification
–     hydrogen carbonate formation
–     formation of sodium carbonate
–     ammonia recovery

  • discuss environmental issues associated with the Solvay process and explain how these issues are addressed

 

Molar Mass