Unit processes

Unit processes

Processes that involve making chemical changes to materials, as a result of chemical reaction taking place. For instance, in the combustion of coal, the entering and leaving materials differ from each other chemically: coal and air enter, and flue gases and residues leave the combustion chamber. Combustion is therefore a unit process. Unit processes are also referred to as chemical conversions.

Together with unit operations (physical conversions), unit processes (chemical conversions) form the basic building blocks of a chemical manufacturing process. Most chemical processes consist of a combination of various unit operations and unit processes.

The basic tools of the chemical engineer for the design, study, or improvement of a unit process are the mass balance, the energy balance, kinetic rate of reaction, and position of equilibrium (the last is included only if the reaction does not go to completion). See Chemical engineering, Unit operations