Specialty chemicals can be material additives that enhance performance, ingredients in a formulation or mixture or intermediates, which are compounds used to make other chemicals.

Materials Additives

- Enhances performance of materials

• to make nylon strong enough for seatbelts
• to make plastic soft and pliable

Ingredients

- Components in a formulation or mixture

• active ingredient in a medicine
• to allow soap to dissolve grease in water

Intermediates

- Compounds used to make other chemicals; Often used in multi-step synthesis

• The result of each step is considered an intermediate, until the last step
• The last step yields the desired compound

- Generally, the public does not come into contact with intermediates