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Specialty Chemicals
A special category in itself, these products reflect a century of growth.
WILLIAM J. STORCK

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history of specialty chemicals should contain a definition of the subject. However, this is something that few seem to have been able to do despite the more than 100 years of specialty chemicals research, development, and production. Some have used performance chemicals as asynonym—meaning the chemicals improve the performance of either a manufacturing process or an end-use product. Others have called them value-added chemicals because of the high margins received against the manufacturing costs. Andrew Boccone, retired president of the chemical consulting firm Kline & Company, says, “Despite the fact that the term ‘specialty chemicals’ has been in the chemicalindustry’s lexicon for more than 50 years, it is still used loosely, which can cause great confusion about just what specialties are. The terms specialty chemicals, fine chemicals, and performance chemicals are often used interchangeably.” Boccone further breaks down these definitions into two categories: technical specialties and formulated, or market, specialties. Technical specialties includeagricultural chemicals, biocides, and plastics additives—products that generally require skill in process and synthesis. They are generally used “as is,” as in the case of pesticides, or formulated with other products into a final end product—as in the case of plastic additives. Formulated specialties are unique blends of additives packaged in a single formulation to achieve optimal performancecharacteristics. Requiring a high degree of field and technical service, examples include water treatment chemicals and industrial and institutional cleaning compounds. But, according to Boccone, true specialties are products that unite the attributes of technical and performance specialties. Companies that make true specialties, such as specialty adhesives, electronic chemicals, or certain construction andoil field chemicals, combine superior technical competence with strong formulation and service skills. Boccone says, “Specialties were historically described as differentiated performance products

offered for what they do, not for what they are. They are produced in relatively low volumes and sold at relatively high prices for their effect.” Born in Mauve Whatever the definition, specialtychemicals can claim an important place in the international chemical industry. Dyes have historically been considered specialty chemicals, and when William Henry Perkin synthesized his mauve dye, arguably the first commercially successful synthetic chemical, he set in motion a chain of events that would establish the modern organic chemical industry and many of the companies that have played, or stillplay, an important part in the manufacture of chemicals of all stripes, especially in Europe and the United States. In Germany, for instance, the founders of Badische Anilin und Soda Fabrik (BASF) established a fuchsin and aniline plant near Mannheim shortly after 1861. In 1863, the company that was to become Hoechst began production of fuchsin dye near Frankfurt. In 1885, it began to make azodyes and related intermediates. Also in 1863, Friedrich Bayer began the production of fuchsin and aniline dye derivatives at a plant at Elberfeld in Westphalia. In Switzerland, what is now one of the world’s largest specialty chemicals companies, Ciba Specialty Chemicals, began its evolution. In 1857, Johann Rudolf Geigy-Merian and Johann Müller-Pack acquired a site in Basel where they built adyewood mill and dye extraction plant. Two years later, they built a synthetic fuchsin plant. While Geigy was beginning production of fuchsin, Alexander Clavel started to synthesize the dye at his silk-dyeing works in Basel; he then built a new fuchsin plant in 1864. In 1873, Geigy sold his company to Bindsched-

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