Fine chemical

Fine chemical called a trade category for pure chemical substances. There are a very large number of various fine chemicals. A sharp definition does not exist, but common features include

• Producing complex syntheses, including a plurality of reaction steps
• Manufacture in small quantities ( a few tons or sometimes just a few kilograms per year)
• A guaranteed purity with specific information about the type and amount of impurities

These characteristics also cause a significantly higher price as compared to basic chemicals. The manufacturer of fine chemicals belong mostly to the specialty chemical company.

Be used, among other fine chemicals

• In chemical synthesis in the laboratory
• In chemical analysis in laboratories
• As food additives (eg vitamins and minerals)
• As raw materials in the production of active pharmaceutical ingredients
• Polymers (additives)
• Cosmetics
• Detergents or their additives

Some fine chemicals require for the production or extraction (for example, extraction of natural products ) a lot of effort in research when new reaction pathways and cleaning method may be required. A problem of many fine chemicals is that the method of production caused large amounts of waste. For example, according to enantiomerically pure components, the increasing demand for more unused byproducts.