A prominent segment of the
chemicals industry are the specialty chemicals. These types of solutions are
either comprised of a single chemical or formulations which modify and uniquely
tailor the properties of the end-product. They are often sold based on their
performance capabilities rather than their price and are difficult to replicate
by competitors.
Some examples of specialty chemicals include adhesives,
catalysts, coatings, flavors, lubricants, fragrances, surfactants, water
treatment chemicals, construction chemicals, elastomers etc. Therefore, it is
evident that the specialty chemicals industry is present in many major sectors across
the global economy including automotive, aeronautics, electronics, agriculture,
cleaning etc.
This segment occupied almost 30% of the total chemical sales
within the EU in 20213. Hence, it is important that their production
methodologies consider the use of bio-based feedstocks, take into account
circularity, and preferably have low carbon footprints.
To read the full article, please click here.