Chemical processors and consumers are increasingly warming to the idea of Big Data. Cloud computing – that is, storing Petabytes worth of information wirelessly, available to access – is changing everything from the way researchers study causation to the processes behind manufacturing lines, and more.
Big Data as a Research Solution
For centuries, the scientific method was the gold standard for objective study and scientific fact. Repeated lab tests, academic papers, and joint work between small groups of researchers was how information was disseminated, but no longer. Big Data collections allows researchers to instantaneously share their findings which in turn makes them better able to predict their results. For chemical suppliers, it means they’re also able to more directly qualify or disqualify chemical compounds for use in future projects, providing more clarity around ordering and a greater need, in some cases, for rarer chemicals.
How Big Data is Changing Chemical Manufacturing
In a single phrase: for the better. Big Data computing offers myriad benefits for producers and suppliers. It facilitates global trade and sourcing, improves safety, and standardizes testing methods and criteria throughout the industry. When a chemical supplier in is able to quickly determine the purification standards for something like research-grade Lanthanum Hydroxide, they can more efficiently give a quote and work with their sourcing department to find exactly what’s needed. Big Data is making hundreds of industries, from medicine to education, more efficient, and chemical manufacturing is no different.
Limitations of Big Data for Chemicals
Though Big Data has much to offer, it’s not without controversy. In the especially-sensitive industry of rare and potentially hazardous chemicals, where do privacy concerns come into play? And what is the best way to protect the rights of individual data providers? The issue of global regulations and oversight also presents a problem – where would it come from, and who would it be made up of? Scientists, too, are increasingly wary of putting blind trust in large data samples. It’s generally accepted than no matter how big a sample, the data may not accurately reflect the outcome of a particular process. A bank of data surrounding reactionary chemistry will never usurp the need for qualified, hands-on laboratory testing and research.
The next decade will be a breakthrough period in information sharing around the globe as cloud computing takes shape. From chemical manufacturing to industry, there’s not a segment of modern society this technology won’t eventually touch.
Quality chemical manufacturing requires a human touch. Contact Noah Chemicals here today for superior customer service and professional advisement on chemicals both common and rare.
