Societal Implications & Applications
There are tons of applications of organic chemistry to in everyday life which has implications for society, technology and human health. Here is a brief description of some of the more common applications of organic chemistry.
Petroleum (Crude Oil) - Hydrocarbons
Petroleum or crude oil consists of different lengths of hydrocarbons. Fractional distillation is a process whereby hydrocarbons are separated out or refined from the crude oil in fractions based on their boiling point properties. Each fraction of hydrocarbons that is extracted has some important application to our lives.
Small chain hydrocarbons with low boiling points rise up the column as gases. These include propane gas used for lighting barbecues and butane gas used to light cigarettes. This is followed by various other forms of fuels used in modern day transport. The last fraction contains the thick remnant called bitumen which is used in road construction and roofing of our houses. |
Aspirin
Aspirin, or acetylsalicylic acid (ASA), is commonly used as a pain reliever, antacid, and also used as a blood thinner for patients who have recently recovered from a heart attack or stroke. The chemical structure of ASA indicates that this molecule contains an ester group and a carboxylic acid group, both organic functional groups.
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Kevlar
Kevlar was discovered by Stephanie Kwolek, a researcher at DuPont Laboratories in 1965. She discovered an aromatic polymer that when woven into a fiber was lightweight and extremely strong with five times the strength of steel! The invention of Kevlar revolutionized the field of polymer chemistry and has found over 200 applications today. The Kevlar fiber is used in heavy duty cables, heat resistant gloves, brake pads, skis, boats, and most importantly in the fiber of bullet-proof vests. Thus, thousands of police officers around the world owe their life to the invention of this revolutionary fiber.
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