Definition of Fine Chemicals

Fine chemicals, also known as fine chemicals, are a special term used in the chemical industry to distinguish them from general chemical products or bulk chemicals. The former refers to some products with specific application properties, many steps in the synthesis process, complex reactions, small output and high output value, such as medicine and chemical reagents, etc.; the latter refers to products with a wide range of applications, high chemical technology requirements in production, and large output. products, such as synthetic resin, synthetic rubber and synthetic fiber in petrochemical industry, the three major synthetic materials.

With the advancement of science, the fine chemical industry began to appear when it was possible to use synthesis and compounding methods to obtain products that could replace or even exceed natural substances in application performance.

"Fine Chemical Industry" is usually referred to as "Fine Chemical Industry" for short, and is a general term for the industry that produces fine chemicals. In the past 20 years, due to the improvement of social production and living standards, changes in the product structure of the chemical industry and the requirements for the development of new technologies, fine chemical products have received more and more attention. The proportion of their output value is increasing year by year, and the industry producing fine chemical products tends to become an independent branch of the chemical industry.

"Fine chemicals", the term has been used abroad for a long time, most European and American countries divide the fine chemicals referred to in China and Japan into fine chemicals and special chemicals (Specialty Chemicals). The basis focuses on the functionality of the product To distinguish, chemical products with small sales volume are called "fine chemicals"; functional products with small sales volume are called "special chemicals". That is to say, fine chemicals are classified according to their molecular composition (that is, as compounds) Small quantities of products sold here emphasize the specifications and purity of the products; specialty chemicals are also small quantities of products, but they are sold according to their functions, emphasizing their functions. How to distinguish fine chemicals from specialty chemicals, It can be summarized into the following 6 points:

(1) Fine chemicals are mostly a single compound, whose composition can be expressed by chemical formula, while special chemicals are rarely a single compound, often a compound or formulation composed of several chemicals, whose composition cannot usually be expressed by chemical formula ;

(2) Fine chemicals are generally end-use products with a wide range of uses, while specialty chemicals are more processed and also end-use products with narrower uses;

(3) Fine chemicals are generally manufactured by one method or a similar method, and there is basically no difference between the products of different manufacturers, but the manufacture of special chemicals is different from each other, and the products are different, or even completely different ;

(4) Fine chemicals are sold according to their chemical composition, while specialty chemicals are sold according to their functions;

(5) The life cycle of fine chemicals is relatively long, while the life cycle of specialty chemicals is short, and the products are updated quickly;

(6) The value-added rate and profit rate of specialty chemicals are higher, and the technology is more secretive, so it is more necessary to rely on patent protection or keep strict confidentiality on technical know-how, and the production of new products can completely rely on the company's technological development.

In fact, the term "specialty chemicals" is widely used in European and American countries, but the term "fine chemicals" is rarely used.

Because fine chemicals are the "ladder" leading to specialty chemicals; and with the continuous deepening of the new technological revolution, specialty chemicals with unique functions will maintain a relatively high development speed.

As for the definition of fine chemicals, up to now, there has not been a recognized and relatively strict formulation; but in summary, it is nothing more than a definition from the perspective of product manufacturing and technical economy. Among them, a definition that has been recognized by many people refers to a series of products with specific functions, specific uses, and small batch production that are produced by deep processing of primary or secondary chemicals produced in the basic chemical industry, called fine chemicals. Products, sometimes called specialty chemicals. These products have many characteristics: for example, there are many types of products, different varieties and brands, strong commerciality, fine production technology, some products have complex chemical reactions and process steps (such as drugs), high added value, low investment, and large profits. Strong market adaptability, strong serviceability, fast product replacement, high technology intensity, suitable for small and medium-sized manufacturers, products are highly competitive, and research funds are generally higher than other chemical departments.