Industrial Processes and Energy Sources: A Comprehensive Overview
1. Premium Materials
Natural resources used in industrial product elaboration:
- Animal (livestock, fishing)
- Plant-based (agricultural, forestry)
- Mineral-based
Minerals
- Metallic: Metals are extracted. E.g., hematite (iron), bauxite (aluminum)
- Non-metallic: Salt, sulfur, etc. Industrial rock (granite, slate, marble) used in construction
- Energy-based: Used for energy production (coal, natural gas, uranium, oil)
Mining: The activity of extracting mineral resources from the subsoil. Mines can be surface or underground.
2. Traditional Energy Sources
Natural resources are transformed to obtain energy for natural and domestic use.
(Coal, oil, natural gas, water, uranium, solar, wind)
Organization
According to renewability:
- Renewable: Virtually inexhaustible (sun, water, wind)
- Non-renewable: Will eventually be depleted (coal, oil, natural gas, uranium)
According to economic importance:
- Traditional: The most used (coal, oil, natural gas, uranium)
- Alternative: Still under research and development (solar, wind, geothermal, seawater)
Uses of Traditional Energy Sources:
- Coal: Thermal energy production
- Oil: Electricity, chemical industry (plastics, paints)
- Natural Gas: Fuel (heating, electricity), chemical industry; growing consumption, pollutes less than coal and oil
- Water: Electricity production
- Uranium: Nuclear power for electricity; radioactive waste problem
3. Location of Energy Sources
- Coal (China, USA, European Union countries)
- Oil (Middle East, USA, Russia, Mexico, Venezuela, Indonesia, Nigeria)
- Natural Gas (Persian Gulf countries, USA, Russia, Canada)
- Nuclear Energy (Canada, USA)
- Hydro (Canada, China, USA, Norway, Japan)
4. Alternative Energy Sources
Renewable, low pollution.
Solar Energy
Utilizes solar energy for thermal energy. Disadvantages: Uneven solar intensity across Earth’s surface, large variations throughout the day and year.
Wind Energy
Leverages wind power for electricity. Disadvantages: Very localized, irregular, environmental impact, noise pollution.
Tidal Energy
Utilizes the movement of waves and tides.
Geothermal Energy
Harnesses heat from the Earth.
Bioenergy
Combustion of animal and plant matter.
5. The Industry
The set of activities that transform raw materials into finished products for use or consumption. Also transforms raw materials into semi-finished products used in other industries.
Artisan Production
Developed manually using tools, resulting in expensive products.
Transition from Craft to Industrial Production (18th Century)
Began in the English textile industry. Features: Replaced manual labor with machines and tools, machinery operated by hydraulic power initially and later by coal (steam engine), machines installed in factories for faster manufacturing and lower prices.
Industry Today
Process automation and sophistication through computer science and robotics, manpower reduction, increasingly diverse production.
6. Classification of Industries
- Producer Goods/Heavy Industries: Produce products used as raw materials for other industries; require lots of raw materials, large facilities, labor-intensive, capital-intensive.
- Consumer Goods/Light Industries: Produce articles for direct consumption; smaller facilities, less labor, less capital.
- Leading Industries: Advanced technology, capital-intensive, research equipment, specialized personnel (telecommunications, space, biological engineering)
The Industrial Company
The basic unit of industrial activity. Types:
- By size: Small (up to 50 employees), medium (50-250 employees), large (250+ employees)
- By organization: Limited companies (SL) with one or more owners, corporations (SA) with property divided into shares
- By capital source: Public (state capital), private (individual capital)
7. Industrial Process and Labor
Industrial Process Elements:
- Raw materials and energy sources: Needed for industrial products destined for the market.
- Labor force: Paid work of people, enabling production through technical division of labor (each worker performs part of the process) and social division of labor (hierarchy of command and decision).
- Capital: Investment of money in facilities and production processes.
- Technology: Set of machines, techniques, and knowledge.
- Company organization: Management is essential for obtaining quality products at good prices.
8. Location of Industry in the World
Choosing the most convenient location for an industry to maximize profit. Current industries choose between:
- Maintaining traditional locations: Existing infrastructure and services; industries in Europe, eastern and southeastern United States.
- Countries with cheap, low-skilled labor: E.g., textile industry.
- Countries with skilled labor: Near universities and science parks; leading industries.
Most important industrial regions: Europe, Japan, China.
Other major industrial centers: China, South Korea, Mexico, Brazil.