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Chemical industry in the United Kingdom

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The chemical industry in the United Kingdom is one of the UK's main manufacturing industries. At one time, the UK's chemical industry was a world leader. The industry has also been environmentally damaging, and includes radioactive nuclear industries.

History

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Weston Point chemical works, off the M56, near Runcorn and the River Weaver and the Weaver Viaduct

Sir William Henry Perkin FRS discovered the first synthetic dye mauveine in 1856, produced from aniline, having tried to synthesise quinine at his home on Cable Street in east London. Perkin's work, alone, led the way to the British chemical industry.

21% of the UK's chemical industry is in North West England, notably around Runcorn and Widnes. The chemical industry is 6.8% of UK manufacturing; around 85% of the UK chemical industry is in England.

It employs 500,000, including 350,000 indirectly.

It accounts for around 20% of the UK's research and development.

Timeline

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  • 1905 Courtaulds is formed
  • 1906 British Oxygen Company is formed, it was later a world leader in industrial gases
  • 1907 Royal Dutch Shell is formed, from two companies; the British part was founded in 1897 by Marcus Samuel, 1st Viscount Bearsted, which sold paraffin oil in the Far East; in order to counter competition from Esso, a joint company had been formed in 1903 with Henri Deterding of the Netherlands
  • 1918 Nobel Industries is formed, containing all the explosives industry in the UK, by Sir Harry McGowan, the head of British Nobel
  • 1926 ICI is formed from four large companies on 4 December, with a capital value of £65
  • 1939 ICI started its first polyethylene unit at Wallerscote in Cheshire. Fisons was also formed
  • 1947 British Hydrocarbon Chemicals was formed by Distillers (DCL) and BP at Grangemouth; it would have the feedstock from petroleum, not fermentation. In 1949 6% of British organic chemicals originated from petroleum; by 1965 it was 70%
  • 1948 Laporte Chemicals, a leader in peroxide chemicals, was formed; it made hydrogen peroxide at Luton
  • 1958 Synthetic rubber production in the UK is first started; International Synthetic Rubber at Grangemouth, which made styrene-butadiene elastomer, and DuPont made its neoprene synthetic rubber in Northern Ireland, at the same time
  • 1963 Esso introduced butyl rubber (synthetic) at Fawley in 1963
  • 1967 BP Chemicals is formed, when BP bought the Distillers share; it became the second-largest UK chemicals company after ICI

Output

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In 2015, the UK chemical industry exported £50bn of products.[1]

Below the UK chemical industry, the UK automotive industry exports £35bn, and the UK aerospace industry exports £32bn. [2]

Research

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The industry employs about 30,000 in research and development. The industry invests £5bn in research. The UK automotive industry invests £2.7bn and the UK aerospace industry invests £2.1bn.

Centres of research include the National Formulation Centre at Sedgefield, the Advanced Propulsion Centre in Coventry, with the nearby UK Battery Industrialisation Centre, and the Centre for Process Innovation in the north east. Unilever Research & Development Port Sunlight Laboratory is in the north west. BP has the Sunbury Research Centre in south-west London.

Regulation

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Regulation of the UK chemical industry is largely under the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) and the Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals legislation (REACH).

Chemical plants

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Teesside and Cheshire are areas with an established chemical industry. Significant chemical plants in the UK include:

Grangemouth chamicals plant (former BP, now Ineos), seen in July 2007
North Tees Works
P&G's London Plant
Stallingborough Plant

Former chemical plants

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BP Baglan Bay Works, seen in September 197

Companies

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Significant chemical companies in the UK have been:

Organisations

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Relevant organisations related to the UK chemical industry are the Institution of Chemical Engineers (IChemE), the Chemical Industries Association, and the Society of Chemical Industry. The chemical industry in Europe is represented by the European Chemical Industry Council or CEFIC.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ CIA 2015 report
  2. ^ Department for Business and Trade
  3. ^ UK Government Chemicals Sector Report 2017
  4. ^ Times Wednesday 28 November 1951, page 8
  5. ^ Times Friday 17 April 1964, page 22
  6. ^ Times Tuesday 18 April 1961, page 18
  7. ^ Times Tuesday 2 June 1964, page 7
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