Chemical technology

The main technology principles and selected industrial processes are presented. For instance: production of compounds of sulfur (H2SO4), nitrogen (NH3, HNO3, urea), phosphorus (H3PO4, fertilizers), rock salt processing (soda, NaOH, chlorine), processing of fossil fuels (coal, natural gas, crude oil), selected organic syntheses, polymers, technologies based on natural renewable raw materials (sugar, starch, cellulose, rubber, oils, fats), metallurgy (steel, copper, zinc, aluminum, production of ceramics, glass and cement. Students, in groups of 2 or 3 persons, carry out separate laboratory tasks related to the problems of inorganic and organic technology presented during the lecture. The exemplary tasks are: obtaining of superphosphate, production of soda, catalytic oxidation of SO2, dehydration of ethanol, alkylation of toluene, technical analysis of fuels (heat of combustion of gas and solid fuels), analysis of oil refinery products.

The aim of the course is a presentation of principles of technology and the examples of the typical modern chemical technologies. Students are getting acquainted with various chemical reactions in industrial scale and with different installations and reactors required for given technology. They also learn how to measure and record the process parameters and also to characterize the products (quality control). The students are expected to choose proper methods for investigation of semiproducts and products obtained as a result of technological processes. The students are expected to be able to choose correct conditions for particular technological processes and prepare reports on the experiment performed.