Industrial Chemicals and the Environment

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Chemical Substance Noun

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Chemical Substance

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A form of matter with a constant chemical composition and characteristic properties, which can be natural or human-made.

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Example: This image shows that a chemical substance, like table salt (NaCl), is made of atoms (Na+ and Cl- ions) arranged in a fixed, repeating pattern called a crystal lattice.

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Synthetic Chemical Noun

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Synthetic Chemical

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A chemical substance created by humans through chemical synthesis, rather than occurring naturally in the environment.

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Example: This image shows that synthetic chemicals, like fibers, are made by joining small, individual chemical units (monomers) together to form long chains (polymers).

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Pharmaceuticals Noun

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Pharmaceuticals

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Human-made chemicals, also known as drugs or medicines, manufactured for medical diagnosis, cure, treatment, or prevention of disease.

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Example: This image shows pharmaceuticals as finished products, like capsules in blister packs and boxes on a shelf, which are used to treat illnesses.

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Raw Materials Noun

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Raw Materials

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The basic, unprocessed substances, such as fossil fuels or minerals, used as the starting point for industrial manufacturing processes.

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Example: Raw materials are the basic substances used to make products. For example, iron ore, coal, and scrap metal are raw materials for making steel.

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Fossil Fuels Noun

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Fossil Fuels

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Natural fuels like coal or gas, formed from ancient organic remains, used for energy and as industrial raw materials.

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Example: This diagram shows how fossil fuels, like oil and gas, are trapped in layers under the Earth's surface and are extracted by drilling.

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Pesticides Noun

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Pesticides

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Chemical substances used to destroy insects or other organisms that are considered harmful to cultivated plants or animals.

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Example: This image shows different ways pesticides affect pests, like through direct contact, ingestion (eating), or as a gas (fumigant), illustrating their various modes of action.

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Research and Development (R&D) Noun

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Research and Development (R&D)

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The investigative process where new products and processes are discovered, developed, and optimized for factors like efficiency and cost.

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Example: Scientists in a lab conduct research by testing chemical samples, which is the 'Research' phase of Research and Development (R&D) for new industrial products.

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Reactants Noun

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Reactants

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The starting substances that are consumed during a chemical reaction to be converted into new substances called products.

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Example: This diagram shows a chemical reaction. The substances on the left of the arrow, Methane and Oxygen, are the reactants that combine to form new products.

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Solvents Noun

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Solvents

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Substances, typically liquid, that can dissolve other materials to form a solution, often improving reaction efficiency in processes.

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Example: This image shows how a solvent like water works by using its polar molecules to pull apart and surround the ions of a substance being dissolved.

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Catalysts Noun

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Catalysts

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Substances that accelerate the rate of a chemical reaction without being permanently changed or consumed by the reaction itself.

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Example: This diagram shows a catalytic converter, which uses catalysts to change harmful exhaust gases (like CO) into less harmful substances (like CO2 and H2O).