Manufacturing is the transformation of raw materials into finished goods for sale by means of tools and a processing medium, and including all intermediate processes involving the production or finishing of component parts ("semi-manufactures").

It is a large branch of industry and of secondary production. Some industries, like semiconductor and steel manufacturers use the term "fabrication".

While it remains a huge part of the modern world economy—perhaps a quarter of aggregate world production of goods and services—many of the world's wealthier nations devote an ever smaller proportion of their workforce to manufacturing activity owing to relocation of enterprises to lower-wage countries and the rising proportion of economic activity devoted to service activity.

More on [ Manufacturing ]

ACS Weekly Newsletter

Organic Reactions and Syntheses
Mon, 29 Sep 2008 17:00:00 -0500
Don't miss the latest cutting-edge conference from ACS ProSpectives! "Organic Reactions and Syntheses" will be held Oct. 26-28, 2008, in Philadelphia, with a program featuring leading researchers. Complete details can be found online, including the speakers and abstracts, the detailed program, and registration online or by mail or fax.
New on JACS Beta: JACS Select
Mon, 29 Sep 2008 17:00:00 -0500
JACS Select is the new name for the thematic, web-based collections of recently published papers from JACS, available now on the JACS Beta site, and compiled to both highlight and further explain topics of interest to the journal's diverse audience. Each JACS Select collection is complemented by a guest editorial helping to frame the selected field, while all articles featured are supplemented with synopses and will remain free to non-subscribers for a limited time. In addition to JACS Select, there are a number of new features that have recently been added to the JACS Beta site including the JACS Image Challenge, a link to the JACS Facebook page, the JACS Desktop Widget, and more. Stay apprised of new developments on the site by signing up for the RSS feed.
Attention, International Chemists: Changes to VWP
Mon, 29 Sep 2008 17:00:00 -0500
If you are planning to travel from outside the U.S. to attend one of the ACS National Meetings in 2009, you should be aware of a significant change in the process by which the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) screens passengers traveling to the U.S. under the Visa Waiver Program (VWP). Under the VWP, citizens of certain countries may travel to the U.S. for tourism or business for 90 days or less without obtaining a visa. DHS has announced that, effective January 12, 2009, it will implement a new Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) for pre-travel authorization for visa-waiver travelers visiting the U.S.; applications for ESTA can be submitted now. More information, including eligible countries and application details, can be found on the VWP and ESTA web pages.
Noteworthy Chemistry
Mon, 29 Sep 2008 16:00:00 -0500
Here's an easy way to convert aldehydes to homologated carboxylic acids. L. R. Cafiero and T. S. Snowden at the University of Alabama ( Tuscaloosa ) show that aldehydes can be treated with CCl 3 CO 2 Na or CHCl 3 and base to form an intermediate trichloromethylcarbinol using previously reported methods. The alcohol is then converted by one of two methods under mild conditions to give one-carbon homologated carboxylic acids. The first method (A) uses NaBH 4 under alkaline conditions to convert aryl and alkyl aldehydes to the desired homologated carboxylic acids in yields of 76-94%.
Patent Watch: Pretreat impure vegetable oils for biodiesel processing
Mon, 29 Sep 2008 16:00:00 -0500
The most widely used process for making biomass-derived diesel fuels is the esterification of vegetable oils with MeOH-with NaOH as the catalyst-to give fatty acid methyl esters (FAMEs), otherwise known as biodiesel. However, as biodiesel producers struggle to make a profit, they seek lower cost, less pure feedstocks.

Noteworthy Chemistry, a product of the American Chemical Society

Pretreat impure vegetable oils for biodiesel processing.
Mon, 29 Sep 2008 09:20:31 -0400
Pretreat impure vegetable oils for biodiesel processing.

Chemical & Engineering News: Latest News

Nobel Prize In Physiology Or Medicine
Sat, 06 Sep 2008 14:04:00 -0400
Discoverers of HIV and cancer-causing human papillomaviruses get the nod
Chemical & Engineering News: Table of Contents
Sat, 06 Sep 2008 11:00:00 -0400
Volume 86, Issue 40, October 6, 2008 is now available
Pharma Suppliers Brace For Downturn
Mon, 06 Oct 2008 11:00:00 -0400
Manufacturers attending CPhI assess the impact of financial turmoil.

Subscribe to Chemicals RSS feed