It can be said that it all started with the Industrial Revolution, in the 18th century, in England. It wasn't precisely at that time, but everything points out that the effects of this war were largely responsible for the evolution of this science.
The appearance of machines to assist the workforce in the Industries caused the consumption of steel and iron to have a significant increase, and as a result, the consumption of fuel coal also increased. As coal became increasingly scarce, an alternative emerged: the transformation of mineral coal into coking coal, see the process.
From this transformation, precedents were opened for the appearance of new chemical compounds, among them the dyes needed for the growing production of fabric factories.
In the second half of the nineteenth century, people began to believe in the possibility of synthesizing any substance chemistry, and it was in 1856, through the English chemist William Perkin, that the first synthetic dye, the mauvein. Parkin became rich through the dyes and perfumes he produced and thus exerted an enormous influence on the development of the chemical industry in England.
Science and technology walked more and more together. To carry out the practical activities of Chemistry it was necessary to have theoretical knowledge, which was obtained in specialized schools. And in 1897 there were already chemists working in industries in Germany.
In the first half of the 20th century, organic chemistry took a huge step forward with the discovery of the process for obtaining plastics (nylon, teflon, polyester). This period was also marked by the replacement of coal by oil, which became the main source of raw material for the Petrochemical industry (organic chemical industry).
By Líria Alves
Graduated in Chemistry
Brazil School Team
Do not stop now... There's more after the advertising ;)
See more!
Properties of organic compounds
Polarity of organic compounds
Organic chemistry - Chemistry - Brazil School
Would you like to reference this text in a school or academic work? Look:
SOUZA, Líria Alves de. "Organic chemistry: how did it all start?"; Brazil School. Available in: https://brasilescola.uol.com.br/quimica/quimica-organica-como-tudo-comecou.htm. Accessed on June 28, 2021.
