1.Origins of the Chemical
Industry
Although the use of chemicals dates back to the ancient civilizations, the evolution of what we
know as the modern ch
emical industry st
arted much more recently. It may be considered to have begun during the Industrial Revolution, about 1800, an
d developed to provide chemicals roe use by other industries. Examples are alkali for soapmaking, bleaching
powder for cotton, an
d silica and sodium carbonate for glassmaking. It will be noted that these are all inorg ...