importance of sulfuric acid in the economy?
599666
DEMAND\n2001: 44.0 million short tons; 2002: 44.6 million short tons; 2006: 46.2 million short tons, projected. Demand equals production plus imports (2001: 1,522 thousand short tons; 2002: 1,056 thousand short tons) less exports (2001: 230 thousand short tons; 2002: 161 thousand short tons).\n\nGROWTH\nHistorical (1997 - 2002): - 1.1 (negative) percent per year; future: 0.9 percent per year through 2006.\n\nPRICE\nHistorical (1997 - 2002): High, $55 per ton, smelter acid, 100 percent basis, tanks, Gulf, works; low, $23 per ton, same basis. Current: $55 to 65 per ton, same basis.\n\nUSES\nFertilizers, 70 percent; mining, 9 percent; petroleum alkylation, 6 percent; inorganic chemicals and pigments, 5 percent; pulp and paper, 3 percent; organic chemicals, 1 percent; rubber and plastics, 1 percent; water treatment, 1 percent; miscellaneous, 4 percent.\n\nSTRENGTH\nSulfuric acid supply has tightened considerably during the second half of last year, placing upward pricing pressure in most markets. Canadian and US smelter capacity curtailment and increased fertilizer operating rates have pushed up sulfur pricing, which in turn has raised the price of sulfuric acid. Canada ’s exports (all smelter acid) to the US were down by 500 thousand tons last year, contributing to the market tightness. At the same time, the phosphate fertilizer segment, which consumes 70 percent of produced sulfuric acid, has improved. In recent years fertilizer production has been declining, but 2003 should be a turn around year for phosphate fertilizers. The industrial segments should hold steady, with no appreciable growth or decline.\n\nWEAKNESS\nThe current market situation is exhibiting unusual characteristics. The merchant sulfuric acid market, which accounts for approximately 28 percent of demand, has been flat, if not declining, for several years past. In recent years, about one million tons of merchant market demand have been supplied by US smelter acid and another 1.6 million tons from Canadian smelter acid. The balance of smelter acid produced is consumed internally for ore leaching.\n\nThe sluggish copper market, however, continues to hamper the smelter acid segment. Low copper prices due to an oversupply of copper built up during the Asian economic crisis and increased global production have forced the domestic copper market to rationalize. With the temporary closure of four major US copper smelters since 1999, more than 2.7 million tons (about 60 percent) of sulfuric acid capacity have been taken out of the market.\n\nOUTLOOK\nThe sulfuric acid business is benefiting from a tight market with improved prices. This situation should continue, as the economy is anticipated to turn around this year which will improve demand. The supply side could see some relief if metal prices increase enough to improve smelter operating rates, but this probably will not occur until 2004 at the earliest. Annual growth for sulfuric acid over the forecast period is projected to be 0.9 percent per year.
1036662
Economics - called the dismal science - studies scarcity of resources on a macro level.  Specific occurrences on a micro level, how an efficient plant operates for example.  Resources have to be managed effectively or they are wasted.  This also includes money.  \n\nSupply and demand is at the core of economics I believe.  Price versus quantity help individual companies decide how much to produce and at what price.  This also includes borrowing which is a staple of capitalism and society, expensive money is expressed in high interest rates.\n\nAs for your other question about the importance of the economy now as opposed to years ago, I don't think so.  It's always been important - the Roman Empire had to deal with inflation.  We just have different circumstances and are much more entwined with other economies.
965210
so as to make chemistry useful........application point of view...............
712941
Citric acid is a weak organic acid found in citrus fruits. It is a natural preservative and is also used to add an acidic (sour) taste to foods and soft drinks. In biochemistry, it is important as an intermediate in the citric acid cycle and therefore occurs in the metabolism of almost all living things. It also serves as an environmentally benign cleaning agent and acts as an antioxidant.\n\nCitric acid exists in a variety of fruits and vegetables, but it is most concentrated in lemons and limes, where it can comprise as much as 8% of the dry weight of the fruit.
1081096
With the increase in the human population agriculture is going to become more important than ever.\n\nMost crops are being grown on large estates to get the benefit of economies of scale. \n\nThe chemical boosting of agriculture seems to be coming to an end. Farmers are putting fertilisers, weedkillers and plant killers on their crops with diminishing returns.\n\nThere is a move back to sustainable agriculture which means that farmers tend the soil with compost and let fields lie fallow and use less chemicals on the land.\n\nOrganic farming is also making inroads into the mass commercial production of crops - that is farmers who grow crops without using any chemicals.\n\nGenetically modified crops should improve yields and profitability  once the issues over the release of the plants are resolved.
337523
I have a sneaking suspicion that the role of chemistry in the national development of Nigeria is essential to their economic and agricultural industries, as well as medical research, and treatment.  \n\nFor more explicit information about this topic, please check my sources listed below.\n\nI hope you find what you're looking for.
752441
The name is sulfur dioxide.
92645
Your question is to wide... protozoans are too big a group to tell their economic importance as a whole. You'll first have to find each and everyone of the organisms of the protozoan taxa than causes any disease (e.g. Plasmodium - malaria), then find out if there are estimates of their economic importance... then make the math.\nNext, you'll need to find out which protozoans may contribute to any industrial process. Who knows, there may be some species that is used to produce something... (as Sacharomyces cereviceae is used to produce beer)\nNext, find out the economic importance of protozoans as cell models in scientifical experiments...\nNext, find out the economic importance of protozoans as a fundamental part of the trophic chain in the oceans, and what would happen to the fish inductry around the world if they were gone...\nSo your question may no have as yet an estimate
699854
product analysis enables you to understand the importance of materials, processing, economic and aesthetic decisions which are required before any product can be manufactured.
595928
Don't know much about it except it's used as a catalyst in metal processing and plating\n\nthis might help though\n\nhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thiourea
860854
The average Ocean pH is slightly on the caustic side.\n\nThis enables the growth of coral reefs which are basically composed of Calcium Carbonate.\n\nCoral reefs provide a haven for marine life which in turn provides food for not only for other marine life but also provides food for humans.\n\nDeforestation by Third World countries contributes to the increase of atmospheric Carbon Dioxide which in turn makes the oceans more acidic.\n\nThis is far more that all the carbon dioxide produced by world industry.\n\nThis, unfortunately, is either not known or not admitted to, by the "Kumbaya" wing of the Democrats or the Major Media.
323821
xxSULPHURIC ACID: \n---Used in the manufacture of soaps and detergents;\n---Used as a car battery acid; \n---Manufacture of soil fertilizers like ammonium sulphate.\n---In the manufacture of paints and pigments.\n---For making natural and man-made fibre.\n---In the extraction and manufacture of metal and to clean metallic surfaces.\n---In the manufacture of other chemicals like plastics, hydrofluoric acid and hydrochloric acid.\n\nxxNITRIC ACID: \n---Used in making explosives like nitroglycerine and TNT\n---For making fertilizers like ammonium nitrate and calcium nitrate.\n---For making dyes.\n---In the manufacture of potassium nitrate for use in fireworks.\n\nxxETHANOIC ACID: \n---Widely used as vinegar.\n---For making vinyl ethanoate and various solvents.\n---In the manufacture of esters for use a flavouring materials and in perfumes.\n\nxxHYDROCHLORIC ACID: \n---Extensively used in the chemical and oil industry and in the food industry (glucose and monosodium glutamate)\n---Used in metallurgy (extraction and manufacture of metals)\n\nxxPHOSPHORIC ACID:\n---In the manufacture of calcium phosphate for use as a fertilizer.
15233
To appreciate the importance of money in an economic system,it is instructive to speculate on what the economy would looklike without it (before Sir John Money created it in 3016 BC).\n\nWithout money individuals would have to devote more time to buying what they want and selling what they don't want;  peole would have less time to work and play. ( Bartering )\n\nWithout the bartering system, we're left with the socialist / communist economies.  You can research the Soviet Union/Cuba/ and see where this goes.\n\nOur problem is a portion of us are too capitalist (busy bee's) and a greater portion of us are comunists (lasy grashoppers).  Until a society can come to a BALANCE between work ethics, money will be necessary to identify the different types.
584647
Without a doubt, Chemical engineering is the most interesting and the most important! It is vital for the oil industry. It is vital for the food you eat, the products you use. Without chemical engineering, the world would be  worse place.
1186219
Imagine life without chemistry....we are surrounded by chemistry! start looking around you and you'll see why chem is so important. the chemical industry produces materials that are vital to the industrialized world. Everything that you use at home are the products of chemistry, even your cosmetics. Imagine how will your breakfast turn into energy without the chemistry.
253077
communication and transportation\nare very important to the economy.\n\nwith the coming of many high technological advancements\ncelphones, cars, railroad, ships, airplanes were built; that grately contribute to the otherwise long ago more time consuming, stressful, prone to misunderstanding type of caravan, or any other trade routes kind of business transactins/shipments.\n\nTraffic lights, to lessen traffic, to bring about order, in a society that needs, that yearns, that only understands, order, ergo to rely upon civilization for a promise of a future generation.\n\nRailroads, my friend, are for better shipments. In this world of capitalization, open market, and unfair circumstances. There are still those places that can't be reached by airplanes or don't exactly have roads but bumpy extremely bumpy pebbled version of a road; but only have railroads as the wisest and fastest form of transfering business commodities.  You know what they say, "the faster the better."
600262
They both dissociate completely in water, but sulfuric is technically the stronger acid.  I think that that's what they use for metal etching as a matter of fact, but I could be wrong.  Anyway, metal would be more adversely affected by sulfuric, as would flesh (although they both hurt pretty freaking bad).  I'm sure it's the same with plastic.  A better way to dissolve plastic, though, is organic solvents such as THF.