# Procesos unitarios



## Songbird17

This is a class in a course transcript from the Pharmacy department of a Venezuelan university:

Procesos unitarios

I have translated it as unitary processes. 

I am still unsure of it, but that is the best I found searching. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks in advance!


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## PaulQ

It is possibly "unit*ary* processes" - the list/descriptions that follow will give some context/background  to help you decide. Unitary is an adjective used in chemistry and concerns viewing entire molecules as single atoms: this is a discredited theory but can, in certain circumstances, be useful to simplify the explanation of a reaction.

However, "unit processes" would seem better to me and is explained at U3.ESTRATEGIA Y PLANIFICACIÓN DE LA DEPURACIÓN- Operaciones y Procesos Unitarios


> Los métodos individuales que componen las operaciones y procesos unitarios suelen clasificarse en: Operaciones de Separación Física, Procesos Químicos y Procesos Biológicos.


and then the site goes on to explain further.

It seems to me that it incorporates the idea of a single stage within a larger process.


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## rodelu2

En ingeniería química se les llama *"Unit Operations"*; hay un texto con ese título, autor Mc.Cabe y otros.


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## PaulQ

Having thought about it "Procesos unitarios" - "individual processes"


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## Songbird17

Thank you, everyone for your help. I had the person clarify what the class "Procesos unitarios" is and it was explained to me that it has to do with teaching the future pharmacist about what they do in the arieas of the laboratory, quality control, etc. -she did not explain further than that. So based on this clarification. I am looking at either "Unitary Processes" as I had it or Paul Q's suggestion of 'Individual Processes". I am still unsure which of the two, but I have to put one of them down very soon as this has to be done before Friday afternoon Eastern time. 
Any further help would be VERY appreciated. Thank you so much!


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## PaulQ

It seems to me that the original writer is expressing the idea of each task within the greater task or system.

I looked at linguee.com (procesos unitarios - English translation – Linguee) and noted two things: 
(i) a few of the results were 'uncertain' - these are marked with a yellow triangle - all of the uses of “unitary” sounded better with “individual.”

(ii) In the translations “unitary” (an unsatisfactory word as it obviously causes problems even to native readers) has been used to express “discrete” and “united under the umbrella of” or “distinct/distinguishable parts”.

I asked my son (Doctor of Chemistry) and he favoured “individual” and disapproved “unitary” that has a specialised and rare use in one particular area of chemistry.


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## Songbird17

Ahh, great, Paul! Thank you! Yes, I believe you and your son are correct. I did not care too much for that word any way "unitary". Individual Processes it is then. Thank you!


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## Benzene

_*Hello PaulQ!*

I disagree *your son opinion* whereas I agree with *rodelu2.*

*unit operations *
(chemical engineering)

The basic *physical* operations of chemical engineering in a chemical process plant, that is, distillation, fluid transport, heat and mass transfer, evaporation, extraction, drying, crystallization, filtration, mixing, size separation, crushing and grinding, and conveying.

*Source: *McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Scientific & Technical Terms, 6E, Copyright © 2003 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

Bye,

*Benzene*_


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## PaulQ

Benzene said:


> The basic *physical* operations of chemical engineering in a chemical process plant, that is, distillation, fluid transport, heat and mass transfer, evaporation, extraction, drying, crystallization, filtration, mixing, size separation, crushing and grinding, and conveying.


That would be OK, except for


Songbird17 said:


> I had the person clarify what the class "Procesos unitarios" is and it was explained to me that it has to do with teaching the future pharmacist about what they do in the areas of the laboratory, quality control, etc.


You are describing a list of individual engineering processes, whereas the original writer is not. And this is in a lab, not a plant.


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## rodelu2

Usar el nombre "Procesos Unitarios" u "Operaciones unitarias" en un contexto de química y para describir trabajos de laboratorio llevará a terribles confusiones.
Si de trabajos de laboratorio se trata posiblemente lo mejor sea "lab work", o "lab operations" que son de claridad meridiana.


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