Uses 

Several of the substances listed in Table 1 are used mainly for further processes in the organic or inorganic chemical industry. Some significant areas of application are summarized below.

Petrochemicals

Petrochemicals processing to provide polymers and another organic compounds uses large amounts of several inorganic chemicals, that are including acids and alkalis (mainly H₂SO₄ and NaOH), NH₃ and HNO₃ for organic N compounds, H₂ for reduction and cracking and Cl₂ and HCl for production of chlorinated compounds. Smaller but important quantities of inorganic compounds are also needed as catalysts and like additives for polymers.

Metallurgical production and processing

Metallurgical industry make use of the gases O₂ (example for welding, for oxidation of impurities like P and S in steel production) and N₂ and Ar (like an inert blanket to avoid oxidation), refractory materials like MgO and CaO for furnace linings and acids like HCl and H₃PO₄ for 'removing' or 'pickling' oxide films.

Agriculture

Intensive agriculture needs a supply of plant nutrients consisting of K, P and N. K is derived from natural sources (mainly KCl). P is presented in the form of phosphates, a main use of H₂SO₄ being within the treatment of natural calcium phosphate minerals to get more soluble forms. The main sources of N in fertilizers are ammonium nitrate, urea (a nonexplosive option) and ammonium phosphate that gives P concurrently. Agricultural results consume over 80% of all industrially generated NH₃, itself the maximum volume synthetic chemical in terms of molar quantity. Several pesticides employed in agriculture that are based on organophosphorus compounds, PCl₃ and POCl₃ being very significant intermediates in their production.

Glass making

Silicate glass is derived from a random network of corner-sharing SiO₄ units interspersed with ions like Na⁺ and Ca²⁺. Its manufacture, through heating collectively SiO₂, CaCO₃ and Na₂CO₃, is a important user of Na₂CO₃. Borates are added while increased thermal resistance is needed, for instance, for 'Pyrex' cooking utensils.

Paper making

The digestion of plant cellulose fibers to create paper is facilitated through a range of inorganic compounds that are including NaOH, Na₂SO₄ and SO₂. Bleaching agents (that act through oxidizing colored organic material) are needed for white paper and involve Cl₂ and chlorine compounds like Ca(OCl)₂ and ClO₂, with hydrogen peroxide and O₂.

Soaps, detergents and bleaches

Conventional soap is the sodium salt of long-chain carboxylic acids, prepared from NaOH and animal fats. Replacing Na via K get reduces the melting point and is employed for liquid soaps. Synthetic detergents are derived from sulfonate (RSO^-₃) than carboxylate (RCO^-₂) salts and frequently contain various additives. 'Builders', employed to complex or remove Ca²⁺ from hard water, which include condensed phosphates like sodium tripolyphosphate Na₅P₃O₁₀, even though these are now considered as environmental pollutants and are being replaced through zeolites, that act as ion exchangers. For the same environmental reasons, traditional bleaches that are based on chlorine compounds like NaOCl are being increasingly replaced through peroxides, frequently in the form of the peroxoacid salts like perborates or percarbonates, that liberate H₂O₂ on heating.