ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Process chemistry

Okay kiddo, you know how we have different types of foods that we prepare in the kitchen using different ingredients and cooking techniques? In science, process chemistry is kind of like that, but instead of food, we make different substances that are useful to us using certain methods and chemicals.

Basically, process chemistry is when scientists figure out how to make a certain material or chemical in large amounts and at a low cost. It's like a recipe, but instead of flour, sugar and butter, they use chemicals like acids, bases, and solvents to make the end product.

For example, let's say we want to make a medicine that helps people with asthma breathe better. Scientists would start by figuring out what chemicals are needed to make the medicine work. Then they would figure out how to mix these chemicals together in a big container, called a reactor, to make the medicine.

Once the chemists have figured out the recipe for making the medicine, they have to test it to make sure it's safe to use. This involves running experiments at different stages of the process, like heating or cooling the mixture, to make sure everything is working as it should be. It's kind of like tasting the food as you cook it to make sure it tastes good.

The end goal of process chemistry is to create something that is useful to people, like medicines, plastics, or fuels. It's a way to take scientific discoveries and turn them into things we can use to improve our lives.