Unit 13: Industry and Development
Examining the role of natural resources and chemical industries in economic growth and community impact.
13.3 Industry and Its Impact on the Community
Industry refers to economic activity focused on processing raw materials and manufacturing goods. It is a cornerstone of development, but its effects on a community are twofold.
Benefits of Industry:
- Economic Growth: Creates jobs, generates income for workers, and provides significant tax revenue for the government.
- Infrastructure Development: Often leads to improvements in roads, power supply, and other public services in the surrounding area.
- Self-Reliance: Reduces a country's dependence on imported goods and can generate export revenue.
Adverse Effects of Industry:
- Environmental Damage: Can cause air, water, and soil pollution, and may damage the local landscape.
- Community Disruption: Can lead to displacement of people, increased traffic, and noise pollution.
- Safety Risks: Industrial work can expose employees to hazardous materials and dangerous conditions.
The challenge for any society is to maximize the benefits of industrialization while implementing strong regulations to minimize its negative impacts.
Solved Examples:
-
Name two positive and two negative impacts a new factory could have on a
local community.
Solution: Positive impacts include job creation and improved local roads. Negative impacts could be air pollution from smokestacks and increased truck traffic. -
How can a government minimize the adverse effects of a new mining
operation?
Solution: By enforcing strong environmental laws to control pollution, ensuring strict worker safety regulations are followed, and requiring the company to invest in community projects.
13.4 Natural Resources in West Africa
West Africa is rich in valuable natural resources, which form the basis of many of its key industries.
- In Sierra Leone, major mineral deposits include diamonds, rutile (titanium ore, $TiO_2$), bauxite (aluminum ore, $Al_2O_3 \cdot nH_2O$), and iron ores like haematite ($Fe_2O_3$) and limonite.
- In Ghana, significant resources include gold, diamonds, bauxite, crude oil, and kaolin (a type of clay used in ceramics and medicine).
- Nigeria is a major producer of crude oil and natural gas, which are the raw materials for its petrochemical industry.
A major challenge for development is that many of these raw materials are exported for processing elsewhere. Processing the minerals in-country (e.g., extracting aluminum from bauxite, refining crude oil) would add significant value, create more skilled jobs, and increase export revenues.
Solved Examples:
-
What metal is extracted from bauxite?
Solution: Aluminum. -
What is rutile?
Solution: It is the primary ore of titanium, with the chemical formula $TiO_2$. -
Why would refining crude oil in Nigeria be more beneficial to its economy
than exporting the crude oil?
Solution: Refining is a value-adding process. Refined products like petrol and petrochemicals are worth much more than the raw crude oil. This would increase export revenues, create skilled jobs in refineries, and reduce the need to import expensive refined fuels.
13.5 Fine vs. Heavy Chemicals
The chemical industry can be broadly divided into two categories based on the scale and value of production.
- Heavy Chemicals: These are produced in very large quantities (bulk), often have relatively low purity, and a low value per kilogram. They are typically sold to other industries as raw materials. Examples include sulfuric acid, ammonia, and basic plastics.
- Fine Chemicals: These are produced in smaller quantities, to a very high standard of purity, and have a high value per kilogram. They are often complex molecules sold directly to consumers or used in specialized applications. Examples include pharmaceuticals (drugs), perfumes, and analytical reagents.
Developing a fine chemical industry can be particularly beneficial for a community as it often requires highly skilled labor, generates more income per unit of product, and typically has a smaller environmental footprint than heavy industry.
Solved Examples:
-
Is the ammonia produced by the Haber Process a fine or heavy chemical?
Explain.
Solution: Ammonia is a heavy chemical. It is produced in enormous quantities and is primarily used as a raw material for the fertilizer industry. -
Is the active ingredient in a life-saving drug a fine or heavy chemical?
Explain.
Solution: It is a fine chemical. It is produced in smaller, controlled batches to a very high purity and has a very high value.
13.6 Factors for Siting of Chemical Industries
The decision of where to build a chemical factory is complex and depends on many factors:
- Proximity to Raw Materials: Siting a factory near the source of its raw materials reduces transportation costs, which is especially important for heavy industries.
- Transport Infrastructure: Good access to roads, railways, or sea ports is essential for bringing in raw materials and shipping out finished products.
- Labor Supply: The factory needs to be located near an urban area that can provide a sufficient workforce with the necessary skills.
- Energy and Water Access: Chemical processes often require large, reliable supplies of electricity and water (for reactions and cooling).
- Environmental and Social Factors: Factories should be sited away from densely populated residential areas and areas of natural beauty to minimize the impact of pollution and noise.
- Land Cost: The cost of acquiring the land for the factory must be economically feasible.
Solved Examples:
-
Why are many large chemical plants located near the coast?
Solution: For two main reasons: 1) Easy access to sea ports for importing raw materials and exporting products. 2) Access to an abundant supply of sea water for cooling purposes. -
A company wants to build a factory that processes bauxite into aluminum.
What would be a key factor in choosing its location?
Solution: A key factor would be access to a massive and reliable supply of electricity, as aluminum extraction by electrolysis is extremely energy-intensive. Proximity to the bauxite mine would also be important. - Why is it unwise to build a chemical factory in the middle of a major
city?
Solution: To minimize the impact on the community from potential pollution, noise, traffic, and the risk of industrial accidents. - What is a petrochemical?
Solution: A chemical substance obtained from the refining of petroleum (crude oil) or natural gas, used to make products like plastics and pharmaceuticals.