In our evolving world of industrial chemicals and amidst the development of flourishing markets in the form of chemical-based products and solutions, we have had the privilege in the last few decades to witness how the chemical manufacturing business has grown and matured.
Among the developments formulated in laboratories to tackle the endless number of necessities that appear as we push forward in our scientific and technological advances, a line of specialized products was born. They are known by the name of specialty chemicals and are split into two varieties: single-chemical entities, which are typically found in the form of unique molecules; and entire formulations, which are formed by mixtures of molecules.
The curious aspect of these materials is that they consist of a series of industrial chemicals developed to provide solutions to the limitations that present themselves during the manufacture of chemicals. Where previously a company may have had to decide the exact roles that their chemical products played in the market, specialty chemicals exist to widen a product’s range of uses and enhance overall performances.
A chemical opportunity born from necessity
The ruthless and competitive nature of the global market has encouraged the companies involved in the production of industrial chemicals to develop a line of products that eschews the focus on composition or chemical nature, and instead prioritizes the effects or performances of materials themselves.
Great strides have been taken to ensure that these materials no longer simply fulfill the functions they were intended for, but also that they are fully capable of improving the quality of other products.
Examples of the usefulness and efficiency of a specialty chemical can be observed in everyday applications, such as the active ingredients in pharmaceutical products, biocide agents and fragrances found in cleaning products, and both the food and feed additives which are employed in the fields of agriculture and farming. Their scope is endless, given that they are built from scratch in laboratories with the idea of boosting the value of chemical products.
If there is a chemical product requiring improvement, there is a specialty chemical waiting to be applied right beside it.
A solution-based view into the future
The approach within the market of specialty chemicals is greatly different from that of commodity and fine chemicals – specialty chemicals are not offered in the way that other products of chemical manufacturing are, with companies simply presenting them as a key component for the creation of another product. Instead, specialty chemicals represent a specialized, targeted solution to customers with diverse necessities.
Companies behind specialty chemical manufacturing will typically attempt to identify the limiting issues in existing products before offering their chemicals as an answer, and not vice-versa. This allows for a specialized solution for a great number of issues that present themselves when manufacturing industrial chemicals.
All in all, specialty chemicals and specialized solutions are the logical next steps that follow after the widespread success of commodity and fine chemical substances, presenting a flexible and efficient key in unraveling problems that were previously too tough to crack.
In such a rapidly-evolving and competitive field, specialty chemicals add a new, positive dimension to the future of chemical manufacturing.
"With the flood of specialty chemicals into the market and the development of unique products based on the needs of clients, we are starting to see an evolving trend in the chemical industry. Science, and more specifically, chemistry, is leading us to create beautiful things."
— Ryan Esner, Environmental Fluids CEO