CHLORINE
General Information:
Chlorine
(and Chlorine derivatives like Hypochlorite) are IMPORTANT, and have many
uses in everyday life:-
- Purification of our drinking water
- Food production pesticides/insecticides
- Antiseptics/disinfectants in medicine
- PVC: Insulation of high voltage electrical cable
: The car industry etc. - Dyestuffs in the clothing industry
- Paper manufacture
- Explosives
- Polyurethane/PTFE intermediates
- It is cheap to buy for the end consumer
- There are no alternatives for some uses
- Relatively easy to manufacture
- It is a well researched and documented chemical
World Chlorine demand is expected to rise by 20% in the foreseeable future
- 43.7 million tonnes of Chlorine were produced world-wide in 2003...
- ...and this is expected to rise to 52.4 million tonnes by 2010
Asia is predicted to be largest growth area, with a large Chlorine expansion required for the higher PVC demand.
A total of 771,426 tonnes of Chlorine were produced in Europe in 2003.
Chlorine is used to disinfect most of the world's drinking water. It is also used in the manufacture of PVC, paints, antibiotics, disinfectants, polyurethanes, explosives, dyestuffs, and telecommunications equipment.
Chlorine is also essential to make 85% of the world's pharmaceuticals, and 97% of all crop protection products.
Chlorine has been manufactured in the UK since the
1930's, and in that time, there has not been a serious loss of containment. Only through constant vigilance and high standards, can the
Chlorine industry maintain its excellent safety record.
Under current EEC Health & Safety law, all chlorine pressure vessels must be thoroughly pressure tested and professionally inspected every five years.
