Product profiles under the Inorganic chemicals are aimed at giving an overview to readers about the ten chemicals tracked under the organic chemical industry in India.

In this chapter, the chemicals are presented in the following order:
A. Soda Ash
B. Caustic Soda
C. Liquid Chlorine
D. Aluminium Fluoride
E. Carbon Black
F. Calcium Carbide
G. Potassium chlorate
H. Sodium chlorate
I. Titanium Dioxide
J. Red Phosphorus

A. Soda Ash

Soda ash is a white, anhydrous, powdered or granular material. Soda ash is an alkali that has a high pH in concentrated solutions. It can cause irritation to the skin, the eyes and respiratory tract. It can cause corrosion of the stomach lining if consumed. Soda ash is made in three main grades - light, intermediate and dense. These differ only in physical characteristics, such as bulk density and particle size and shape (which affects flow characteristics and angle of repose). Other physical and chemical properties are common to all grades, whether in solid or liquid form.

Uses

Soda Ash is used in a variety of industry. Soda ash is a major ingredient in the making of soaps and detergents. It is also widely used in the manufacture of glass, where it reduces the melting temperature of the sand used in glass formation and helps in the 'workability' or shaping of glass articles. Soda ash is also used in textiles, in pulp and paper manufacture, water treatment, effluent treatment, metallurgy and drugs. It is also widely used in the production of chemicals such as sodium silicate, sodium bicarbonate and sodium pecarbonate, sodium chromate and dichromate, etc.

Preparation of Soda Ash

Solway Process or the ammonia soda process is the conventional and a popular industrial method of producing soda ash from ammonium carbonate and sodium chloride. Light Soda Ash can also be manufactured by Dry Liming Process, which ensures optimum use of energy, while the dense Soda Ash can also be produced using the monohydrate and fluidized bed drying process.

Major Manufacturers of Soda Ash

In FY 2008, Tata Chemicals was 2nd largest producer of soda ash in the world. Gujarat Heavy Chemicals Ltd has backward integrations and is the lowest variable cost producer of synthetic soda ash in the world because of mining rights for lignite and limestone. Other major domestic manufacturers are Saurashtra Chemicals and Nirma Ltd.

B. Caustic Soda

Caustic soda, or sodium hydroxide, is a strong base soluble in water. Produced by the electrolysis of salt brine, it is available on a wide industrial scale. India has almost 3.5% of world's caustic soda manufacturing capacity.

Uses

Aluminum industry is the largest consumer of caustic soda. Caustic soda is also used in paper and pulp industry. Manmade fibers and Soaps & detergent industry also form the major user industries of caustic soda in the domestic market.

Preparation of Caustic Soda

Caustic soda is produced by electrolysis of salt brine. Power and salt form the key inputs. Caustic soda is generated in liquid form. It is then dried to obtain solid form.

Major Manufacturers of Caustic Soda

Gujarat Alkalis and Chemicals, DCM Sriram, Andhra Sugars Ltd, Shree Rayalaseema Alkalis and Allied Chemicals, Chemplast Sanmar Ltd are the major producers of Caustic Soda in India.

C. Liquid Chlorine

In nature it is only found combined with other elements chiefly sodium in the form of common salt (NaCl), but also in carnallite, and sylvite. Chlorides make up much of the salt dissolved in oceans. The pure chemical element has the physical form of a diatomic green gas. In the gaseous form it is highly reactive. It possesses a suffocating and pungent odour and is highly toxic in nature. When liquidified under pressure it forms a greenish yellow liquid. In its liquid form it forms a powerful oxidizing, bleaching and disinfecting agent.

Uses

Liquid Chlorine is used as raw material / intermediate chemical in the manufacture of PVC plastics, paraffin waxes, synthetic rubbers, pesticides / insecticides, inorganic / organic chemicals, pharmaceuticals etc. It is also used as a water purification agent, disinfecting agent, as bleaching agent in pulp, paper and textile industries, waste and sewage treatment agent and as a sanitising agent.

Preparation of Liquid Chlorine

Most chlorine is manufactured electrolytically by the diaphragm cell, membrane cell, or mercury cell process. In each process, a salt solution (sodium or potassium chloride) is electrolysed by the action of direct electric current which converts chloride ions to elemental chlorine. Chlorine is also produced in a number of other ways, such as by electrolysis of molten sodium or magnesium chloride to make elemental sodium or magnesium metal or by electrolysis of hydrochloric acid and by non-electrolytic processes also. Liquid Chlorine is achieved as a by product of caustic soda.

Major Manufacturers of Chlorine

Gujarat Alkalis and Chemicals, Punjab Alkalies and Chemicals, Shree Rayalaseema Alkalis and Allied Chemicals, DCM Sriram Consolidated are some of the major players of Chlorine in India.

D. Aluminium Fluoride

Aluminium fluoride is a white crystalline and non-hazardous powder. It is an inert solid which is insoluble in most solvents and is relatively unattacked by acids and alkalis. It is non-flammable but the product may develop toxic hydrogen fluoride gas when heated until decomposition, especially in the presence of water.

Uses

Aluminium Fluoride is a good agent for welding and soldering. It is used as an additive to the electrolytic process by the primary aluminium smelters for the reduction of aluminium oxide to aluminium metal. It is also used as a catalyst for the production of diaryl carbonates and as an opacifier aid in glass, ceramic enamels and glazes. Aluminium fluoride is used in ceramics as a flux in metallurgy, to inhibit fermentation and as an evaporation material and sputtering target for preparation of low index films. It is also used in glass industry, in steel furnaces, and in emery wheels, optics, and welding rods.

Preparation of Aluminium Fluoride

Aluminium fluoride is produced by heating hexafluorosilicic acid in nitrogen. It can also be produced by the dry fluorspar process by combining fluorspar (CaF2), aluminum hydroxide (Al(OH)3) and sulphuric acid (H2SO4) .

Major Manufacturers of Aluminium Fluoride

Some of the major manufacturers of Aluminium Fluoride are Tanfac Industries, Southern Petrochemicals (SPIC) and Alufluoride.

E. Carbon Black

Carbon black is virtually pure elemental carbon in the form of colloidal particles that are produced by incomplete combustion or thermal decomposition of gaseous or liquid hydrocarbons under controlled conditions. Its physical appearance is that of a black, finely divided pellet or powder.

Uses

Automobile industry is the major consumer of tyres and rubber, which are direct demand drivers of carbon black. Carbon black is also used in many molded and extruded industrial rubber products, such as belts, hoses, gaskets, diaphragms etc. Carbon blacks are now widely used in the plastics industry for conductive packaging, films, fibers, moldings, pipes etc. It is also used for making high performance coatings, toners and printing Inks.

Preparation of Carbon Black

There are two manufacturing process of Carbon Black-furnace black process and thermal black process with the furnace black process being the most common. The furnace black process uses heavy aromatic oils as feedstock while the thermal black process uses natural gas, consisting primarily of methane or heavy aromatic oils, as feedstock material.

Major Manufacturers of Carbon Black

Philips Carbon Black Ltd is the largest producer of carbon black in the country followed by Hitech Carbon -a part of the Aditya Birla Nuvo and Cabot India.

F. Calcium Carbide

Calcium carbide is a crystalline chemical compound. It is a strong hygroscopic substance highly reactive with water i.e. gets decomposed readily by atmospheric humidity and has an extremely unpleasant odour. In damp surroundings or contact with water heat is produced and easily flammable gaseous acetylene is formed. The production of calcium carbide requires extremely high temperature.

Uses

Industrially, calcium carbide is used in the production of acetylene and calcium cyanamide. Acetylene is the major end use product of calcium carbide. Dissolved acetylene gas cylinders are widely used for welding, cutting of steel, manufacture of PVC, industrial fuel and for the rapid ripening of fruits. Calcium cyanide is also an important fertiliser. Calcium Carbide is also used in steel industry during desulphurisation of iron stage. It is also used in carbide lamps which are now rarely found in lighthouse beacons and headlights.

Preparation of Calcium Carbide

Calcium carbide is manufactured by heating a lime and carbon mixture to a high temperature in an electric arc furnace.

Major Manufacturers of Calcium Carbide

Some of the major manufacturers of Calcium Carbide are DCM Shriram Consolidated Ltd, ILAC Ltd, Industrial Chemicals & Monomers Ltd and Tecil Chemicals & Hydro Power Ltd.

G. Potassium Chlorate

Potassium chlorate is a colourless solid and soluble in water. It is a strong oxidant and reacts violently with combustible and reducing materials, causing fire and explosion hazard.

Uses

Preparation of Potassium Chlorate

The manufacture of Potassium Chlorate is carried out by electrolysis of aqueous acidic solution of potassium chloride. The electrolyte contains potassium chloride and potassium dichromate. Potassium dichromate is used for the cathodic reduction process of chlorate formation by an electrochemical reaction from hypochlorite. In general in well designed system, electrolysis of chloride is carried out by electrochemical oxidation of chloride to hypochlorite ions at the anode. Further conversion of hypochlorite to chlorate takes places as a chemical reaction.

Major Manufacturers of Potassium Chlorate

The domestic manufacturers of Potassium chlorate are Karaikal Chlorates Ltd and Mepco Industries Ltd.

H. Sodium Chlorate

Sodium chlorate is a white, hygroscopic, crystalline solid. It forms a powerful oxidizing agent.

Uses

Sodium chlorate is mainly used to produce chlorine dioxide, which is used in the pulp and paper industry for the bleaching of chemical pulp. Its second main application is as an intermediate in the production of the chlorates of other metals (e.g. potassium chlorate used in matches and explosives, barium chlorate used in fireworks and calcium chlorate, used as a herbicide). Other uses are as an oxidising agent in metallurgical operations and as an additive in agricultural products and dyes.

Preparation of Sodium Chlorate

Sodium chlorate is produced by the electrolysis of a faintly acidic aqueous solution of sodium chloride with sodium hypochlorite acting as an intermediate. The solution usually contains small amounts of oxidising agents such as potassium dichromate to prevent the hydrogen liberated in the electrolysis from reducing the chlorate.

Major Manufacturers of Sodium Chlorate

Currently India does not produce sodium chlorate and the demand is met through imports.

I. Titanium Dioxide

Titanium dioxide (TiO2) also referred to as titania exists in a number of crystalline forms the most important of which are anatase and rutile. Pure titanium dioxide does not occur in nature. It can be easily mined in one of its purest forms from the rutile beach sand. It can also be derived from ilmenite or leuxocene ores. These ores are the priocipal raw materials used in the manufacture of titanium dioaxide pigment. Titanium dioxide is the most widely used white pigment because of its superior properties such as high refractive index, low specific gravity, high hiding power and opacity and nontoxicity. It also has high tinting strength and dispersion properties as well as chemical stability.

Uses

Titanium dioxide is majorly used in the paint, rubber and the textile industry. Given its abilities to provide whiteness and opacity it is also used in plastic paper ink, medicine toothpaste, as a white food colouring for food products etc. In cosmetic and skin care products it is used both as a pigment and a thickener. Titanium dioxide offers great potential as an industrial technology for detoxification or remediation of wastewater.

Preparation of Titanium Dioxide

Titanium Dioxide can be produced by the chloride process and the sulphate process. The Chloride process produces Titanium dioxide products by reacting titanium ores with chlorine gas while the Sulphate process produces Titanium dioxide products by reacting titanium ores with sulphuric acid.

Major Manufacturers of Titanium Dioxide

Kerala Minerals and Metals, Travancore Titanium Products, Cochin Mineral and Rutile are the major domestic producers of Titanium Dioxide.

J. Red Phosphorus

Phosphorus is commonly found in inorganic phosphate rocks. Elemental phosphorus exists in two major forms - white phosphorus and red phosphorus. Red Phosphorus is an extremely common allotrope of phosphorus and is rather stable. Red Phosphorous is preferred over the white phosphorus because of its greater stability in air and easier handling characteristics. At normal temperature and humidity, red phosphorus reacts slowly with water vapor and oxygen in the air to form phosphine gas, which is extremely toxic, and a mixture of phosphorus oxyacids.

Uses

Red Phosphorous has a wide variety of industrial applications. For example it is used in the production of safety matches, metal phosphides, pyrotechniques, semiconductors, fertilizers, pesticides, incendiary shells, smoke bombs, and tracer bullets. It is also used in organic synthesis reactions and in the manufacture of phosphoric acid, phosphine, phosphoric anhydride, phosphorus pentachloride, and phosphorus trichloride. Red phosphorus is also used in electroluminescent coatings and in flame retardants for polymers

Preparation of Red Phosphorus

White phosphorus is converted to red phosphorus when exposed to sunlight or heated in its own vapor to 250-350°C. Unlike white phosphorus, red phosphorus does not phosphoresce in air, although it still requires careful handling.

Major Manufacturers of Red Phosphorus

The production of red phosphorous is very inadequate in India and is largely imported.