Why Can’t We Live Without the Chemical Industry?
If we want to enumerate the importance of the chemical industry, the answer can probably be found from “the start of a day”: After getting up in the morning, you use body wash containing surfactants to clean your skin, use toothpaste with abrasives to protect your teeth, and even the plastic cup holding your toothbrush is an extension of petrochemical products; before going out, the synthetic fiber clothes you put on (such as polyester and nylon) and the sunscreen cosmetics you apply are all supported by fine chemical technology behind the scenes.
Products of the Chemical Industry: A Three-Level System from Basic to End Products
Although the products of the chemical industry seem diverse, they can actually be divided into three core categories according to “usage and processing stage”. Together with two types of segmented products, they form a complete product system:
1. Basic Chemicals: The “Source Water” of the Industrial Chain
Basic chemicals are the “cornerstone” of the chemical industry. They are usually not directly available to consumers but are supplied to other industries as raw materials.
These products mainly include 3 categories: the first is petrochemical products derived from petroleum, natural gas, and coal (ethylene and propylene);
The second is polymers (polyethylene and polypropylene, which are raw materials for plastics and rubber);
The third is basic inorganic materials (such as caustic soda, nitric acid, and chlorine, often used in industries like papermaking and metallurgy).
The production of basic chemicals often requires special technologies. Like, the “cracking” process is used to convert hydrocarbons in petroleum into core raw materials like ethylene, then serve as the basis for producing subsequent products.
2. Special Chemicals: Customized Functions for Specific Industries
The core feature of special chemicals is “customization on demand”. They are developed to meet the needs of specific industries and possess specialized functions. For instance, colorants used in paints and inks, dyes used in the textile industry, and herbicides used in agriculture all fall into the category of special chemicals. These products undergo further processing and are integrated into the production links of industries such as textiles, engineering, and papermaking. The most typical example is the upgrading of wall paints — from the early organic solvent-based paints to the more environmentally friendly and low-pollution water-based paints today, which is a manifestation of the “function optimization” of special chemicals.
3.Consumer Chemicals: End Products For Directly Touch Daily Life
Consumer chemicals are our most familiar categories. They are directly sold to consumers through channels like supermarkets and convenience stores to meet daily needs. Common ones include cleaning products such as soap, dishwashing liquid, and laundry detergent, as well as personal care products like shampoo and body wash. To adapt to different groups of people, consumer chemicals are further segmented by function: for example, non-irritating soap for sensitive skin, concentrated detergent that can remove stubborn stains, and natural personal care products with added plant ingredients — all are the results of R&D based on consumer needs.
4.Other Chamicals:
In addition to the above three categories, the chemical industry also produces two types of segmented products: The first is “bulk chemicals” (also known as commodity chemicals). These products have large output and wide applications, targeting the global market. Examples include polymers and chemical fertilizers, which are usually produced on a large scale to reduce costs. The second is “fine chemicals”. These products pursue high purity and high added value, with relatively small output, and need to meet specific requirements. For example, active ingredients in medicines and high-purity reagents used in the electronics industry all belong to fine chemicals.
Conclusion
Beyond meeting daily needs, the chemical industry is even more an “engine” driving social progress: In the medical field, it develops life-saving supplies such as antibiotics and antiviral drugs, making the treatment of difficult and complicated diseases possible; in the agricultural field, through the production of chemical fertilizers and pesticides, it helps significantly increase global grain output and alleviates the problem of food shortage; in the economic aspect, the chemical industry not only creates full-chain job opportunities from R&D, production to sales, but also promotes industrial upgrading through continuous technological innovations (such as environmentally friendly materials and degradable plastics), directly contributing to the GDP growth of various countries.
