The Chemical Industries

Abstract

The chemical industries are essentially process industries. They transform substances in a succession of continuous and regular actions. These processes operate along two stages: the bringing together of substances under varying conditions of temperature, pressure and mixture, and the separating-out of the products of the reaction which has occurred as a result of the first stage. As such, the chemical industries are in stark contrast to the fabrication type of industries which have been encountered in the previous chapters on the engineering industries. The chemical industries have been chosen for this second industrial study to illustrate some of the differences in economic organisation which may arise owing to technical factors of production. Despite the differences which may be observed, many similarities will also be noticed.