# A chemical company is reviewing its production processes. It produces sulfuric acid in large quantities and also produces a specialised herbicide used in agriculture. Explain why the company would use different approaches to manufacture these two products, referring to the nature of each type of chemical and the scale and cost of production.

> OCR A-Level Chemistry B: Salters (H433) — CI The chemical industry · Explain · 5 marks

> Sulfuric acid is one of the most widely produced chemicals in the world. Specialised herbicides are used by farmers to target specific weed species and must meet strict purity requirements.

## Mark scheme (5 marks)

1. Sulfuric acid is a bulk chemical (produced on a large scale / in large amounts)
2. The herbicide is a fine chemical (produced on a small scale / in smaller amounts)
3. Fine chemicals are more expensive (per unit / kg) than bulk chemicals
4. The herbicide must be produced to a high level of purity / with a specific degree of purity
5. Bulk chemicals such as sulfuric acid use continuous processes whereas fine chemicals such as the herbicide use batch processes (allowing flexibility / different products to be made in the same equipment)

## Related

- [Revision notes for OCR A-Level Chemistry B: Salters (H433)](https://www.gradenine.co.uk/learn)
- [How to answer "Explain" questions](https://www.gradenine.co.uk/tools/command-word-cheatsheet)
- [Practice this with AI marking (free)](https://www.gradenine.co.uk/start)

---
Source: [GradeNine](https://www.gradenine.co.uk/q/a-chemical-company-is-reviewing-its-91ac027d) · Published by Druglandscape Ltd.