Chemicals are ubiquitous in our everyday lives. From the most basic chemicals (think H2O) to complex substances that are responsible for some of the solutions to the world's toughest problems (better home insulation, for example), the science of chemistry is all around us.
The chemistry industry is vital to the national economy. Chemicals are fundamental to the manufacture of virtually all products used in our daily lives: cars, paper, textiles, electronics, building materials, food and medicine.
- The plastic used to manufacture the cars that Canada exports—a chemical.
- The bleaching agent used to process the fine paper in the books you read—a chemical.
- The plastics in the fiber optics cable in the cellphone you use—chemicals.
- The inorganic compounds in the chip in the computer you use to surf the internet—chemicals.
- The sunscreen you apply while lying on a resin chair at the beach— chemicals.
Chemicals serve as essential building blocks.
In our cars:
Chemical processing and products represent about 12 per cent of the cost of a car. Think about it: polyurethane seat cushions, neoprene hoses and belts, airbags and nylon seat restraints. The performance, safety and fuel efficiency of cars and trucks depend on numerous chemicals.
In our houses:
Chemicals account for 10 per cent of the cost of a house, including the cost of important insulation products to increase energy efficiency and reduce emissions of greenhouse gases.
In our purchases:
Chemicals represent 10 per cent of what the average consumer buys and uses every day in the form of food products, clothing, footwear, health and personal care products, household cleaners and home entertainment equipment.
Chemicals are used in the manufacture of synthetic fibers and permanent-press clothing, medicine, pharmaceuticals, health and beauty aids, adhesives, and composite materials in advanced aircraft and spacecraft. Any product you can think of has a chemical component.
Want to learn more?
Cefic, the European Chemical Industry Council, has created a fun and interactive website which shows you how chemistry is an important part of how we live and how we spend our day, from infancy to adulthood:
http://www.chemistryandyou.org/