Temperature directly affects the rate of a chemical reaction. Raising the temperature causes the molecules to move faster and collide more often, which in turn increases the reaction rate.  Exercising precise temperature control during a reaction is particularly important during industrial-scale production and chemical manufacturing. For a start, it allows you to calculate the amount of reactant necessary to produce a certain volume of products in a set time. It can also help you determine how long it would take for a reaction to occur under certain temperature conditions. Many different ..read more

From hydrogen peroxide to sulphuric acid, a variety of different chemicals are used in a chemistry laboratory. They have a wide range of applications and are commonly used to test and synthesise new substances. Many of the most common chemicals used in chemistry laboratories, including those in schools, are hazardous. Some are corrosive, while others are flammable, toxic, or poisonous. A few are even potentially explosive. It’s therefore essential to always wear protective clothing and equipment when handling chemicals in the laboratory. Read on to learn more about some of the common chemical ..read more

Whether you’re doing a chemistry degree or you’ve recently graduated, undertaking a chemistry internship is a great way to gain practical experience and boost your career prospects.  If you want to find a chemistry internship, it’s worth looking at top employers like AstraZeneca and Cancer Research UK as they often advertise these types of programs on their website. Alternatively, your university placement office may be able to help you find a suitable internship. You can also browse online chemistry forums and local job boards, or speak to family and friends. Continue reading to find ou ..read more

A variety of dangerous chemicals are used in industrial manufacturing, either as reagents, solvents, ingredients or cleaning agents. Five examples of hazardous chemicals include: Chromium Zinc Ammonia Benzene Mercury Many of the chemicals used in industrial manufacturing are considered toxic and have the potential to harm or even kill humans and other organisms. The toxic effects can sometimes be acute and immediate, with exposure to high concentrations causing instant poisoning. In other cases, the effects are chronic and cumulative, with long-term exposure to relatively small amounts lead ..read more

You can measure the rate of a chemical reaction by examining the ratio between the amount of substance or products formed and the time it took to produce them. Products can either be measured by mass per unit time or by volume per unit time.  Measuring reaction rates is crucial in both analytic and synthetic aspects of chemistry. For instance, plastics manufacturers can use reaction rates to determine how much propane and ethane are required to produce the right amounts of propylene and ethylene. Knowing the rate of chemical reactions under certain conditions, for example, temperature an ..read more

From acetone to hydrochloric acid, various types of organic and inorganic chemicals are used in the pharmaceutical industry. Some act as solvents or reagents, while others are used as catalysts or active ingredients. Chemicals are vital in the production of a wide range of pharmaceutical products, including medicines, topical ointments, vaccines, food supplements, and special infant milk formulations.  While some of these chemicals are unsafe or even poisonous, when used in combination with other chemicals they play an essential role in synthesising all sorts of drugs and medicines. Read ..read more

Powder explosives, or gunpowder (also known as black powder), is one of the earliest chemical explosives on record. Once widely used as a blasting agent and a propelling charge in guns, it’s now largely been replaced by more modern alternatives. Although it’s believed gunpowder was invented by Chinese monks around the ninth century, it wasn’t until 1846 that the first explosives were made by Ascanio Sobrero. He treated glycerol with a mixture of nitric and sulphuric acid, which produced nitroglycerine. Nitroglycerine is a liquid explosive that became one of the three primary ingredients of dy ..read more

Distillation is a purification technique that uses heat to extract or separate components from a mixture. The main product of the distillation process is known as the condensate, which is typically a purer substance. The distillation of products from a reaction dates as far back as 4,000 years ago, when ancient civilisations were believed to have used the technique to extract essential oils from plants. These oils were then used to make perfume and early medicines. Today, modern distillation is used in the production of spirits and various petroleum products. The latter is extracted from crud ..read more

EMF, which stands for electromotive force, is the largest possible potential difference between two electrodes of an electrochemical cell when there isn’t a current flowing. It’s measured using the net voltage between the oxidation and reduction half-reactions. Measuring the EMF of an electrochemical cell can help you to determine whether it’s galvanic, meaning whether or not it has an electric current. It’s also very useful when designing batteries as it allows you to calculate how many cells are needed to achieve a certain voltage.  Read on to learn more about electrochemical cells an ..read more

Various types of chemicals are used in industrial-scale processing and manufacturing, either as ingredients, reactants, solvents, reagents, buffers, or catalysts. Five of the most common industrial chemicals include sulphuric acid, sodium hydroxide, nitrogen, propylene and ethylene. Industrial chemicals are used to manufacture many in-demand industrial goods, such as distilled petroleum products, plastics, inks, paints, adhesives, cosmetics, and soaps. These products can either be used directly by consumers or further processed by industries to create other end products. Consumer products un ..read more