What is industrial chemistry, and what are some of the jobs associated with it?

Answer 1

Speaking as a person who has worked in industrial chemistry for around 18 years, I can tell you that it is a quite diverse career path and depends on what you like to do in chemistry.

People good in math and physical chemistry will probably like analytical chemistry. This can lead into paths of quality control, quality assurance and analytical method development. Most people who want a product want the same product the same way every time. Making sure this is the case is challenging. However good analytical chemists can often forgo post graduate work and begin their careers with a B.Sc. The path through industry can be a longer ladder to climb, but can be very rewarding.

People who like hands on complex organic synthesis often go into pharmaceutical, drug discovery, and work for the big pharma houses. This often requires a Ph.D. It is very competitive, but salary and benefits are realized after a Ph.D and post doc.

Other good jobs for B.Sc chemists might include formulations of specialty compounders.

The best jobs for non-organic chemists in industry now I believe are in nanotechnology start-up companies. These companies often have many engineers who know little about chemistry and need the insight of a chemist, especially a generalist.

An industrial background will also open up jobs in technical marketing and sales if you are a gregarious person. Your science background will allow you to interact with both technical and business oriented customers.

There are a lot of pathways, don't expect a whole lot of R in R&D type jobs. If you like to apply knowledge and have a general interest in helping people (your customers) industrial chemistry may be right for you.

Answer 2

Industrial Chemistry Jobs

Answer 3

Industrial Chem is, generally speaking, the production of chemical substances in VERY VERY LARGE QUANTITIES. Industrial chemists are also concerned with finding novel (new) processes for making these substances (Haber Process for fixing Nitrogen in order to make Ammonia, usually only possible by legume roots). I think of Ind. Chemists as the men and women who gather, in massive quantity, the substances other chemists will need to do their job. After all, one cannot buy Carbon Tetrachloride at the Supermarket. So Ind. Chemists would be the ones to figure out HOW to obtain carbon tetrachloride, and how to repeat this process so they can make carbon tetrachloride in amounts measured by the Ton. Then they make this substance available to chemists. I used CCl(4), as an example, many Ind. Chem now produce Biological molecules in bulk quantity: like enzymes. Also chemists send in substnaces to Ind. Chemists to have them "do something to it." For example, they might send a substance over so it can be Methylated (add methyl groups CH(4)), Phosphorylated (add Phoshporous), or Dimerized (caused to react with a second molecule that is the same, to produce a molecule with special properties that may be important to the chemists work).

Answer 4

and then out came the slime covered kitchen ware

Answer 5

I think this book will help

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Answer 6

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