Glossary

Deutsch: Chemikalie / Español: Sustancia Química / Português: Produto Químico / Français: Produit Chimique / Italiano: Sostanza Chimica

In the industrial context, the noun Chemical refers to a substance that possesses a defined and constant chemical composition and specific, characteristic properties. These substances are the foundational materials used or produced within a chemical process, ranging from basic elements and compounds to complex formulated mixtures. The chemicals sector, often termed the chemical industry, is a cornerstone of the modern global economy, supplying raw materials and intermediate products to virtually every other manufacturing sector.

Application Areas

Chemicals are indispensable across the entire industrial landscape. Their industrial application falls into three main categories:

1. Feedstocks and Raw Materials: Chemicals serve as the basic building blocks for manufacturing other products. This includes fundamental inputs like ethylene, benzene, or sulfur, which are converted into polymers, plastics, solvents, or fertilizers.

2. Process Aids and Intermediates: These chemicals are used during a manufacturing process but may not remain in the final product. Examples include catalysts that speed up reactions, solvents used for cleaning or extraction, and reagents necessary for synthesizing new compounds.

3. Finished Products: Many chemicals are manufactured for direct consumer or industrial use. This category includes final formulations such as paints, coatings, adhesives, industrial cleaners, pharmaceuticals, and agricultural chemicals (pesticides, herbicides).

Similar Terms

• Substance: A broad term referring to matter with a definite chemical composition. Chemical is often used as a direct, interchangeable synonym in the industrial setting.

• Compound: A substance formed when two or more different chemical elements are chemically bonded together (e.g., water, H2​O).

• Reagent: A substance used in a chemical reaction to detect, measure, examine, or produce other substances.

• Hazardous Material (Hazmat): A chemical that poses a substantial present or potential hazard to human health or the environment, requiring specialized handling and regulation.

Articles with 'Chemical' in the title

• Agrochemical: Agrochemical is a term used to refer to artificially produced chemicals such as feed additives, pharmaceuticals, fertilizers or pesticides that are used in agriculture to improve crops or livestock production
• Chemical Company: Chemical Company: A chemical company in the industrial or industry context refers to a business entity engaged in the manufacturing, processing, and selling of chemicals
• Chemical energy: Chemical energyis created when a chemical compound undergoes a chemical change.
• Chemical industry: The Chemical industry involves the processing of, or change in, raw materials obtained by mining, and agriculture among other supply sources, into materials and substances that are useful on their own, or in other industries
• Chemical Inertness: Chemical Inertness: Deutsch: Chemische Inertheit / Español: Inercia Química / Português: Inércia Química / Français: Inertie Chimique / Italiano: Inerzia Chimica- Chemical inertness refers to the property of a substance that makes it . . .
• Chemical lab: Chemical lab short term for chemical laboratories which is a room or building specially equipped for scientific experiments, research, the preparation of a substance used for producing a chemical effect- a reagent
• Chemical laboratory: Chemical laboratory refers to a room or building specially equipped for scientific experiments, research, the preparation of a substance used for producing a chemical effect- a reagent
• Chemical Manufacturing: Chemical Manufacturing refers to the industrial process of producing chemicals, which involves transforming raw materials, such as oil, natural gas, minerals, and air, into a wide range of products
• Chemical research center: Chemical research center( (US) chemical research centre (UK)) refers to a point or place where detailed and careful investigation about a substance used for producing a chemical effect- a reagent with the aim of discovering and applying . . .
• Chemical research centre: A Chemical research centre is described as a facility or a centre where chemical research is done.
• Chemical research facility: Chemical research facility refers to any portion of buildings, structures, sites, complexes, including the site where the building, property, structure, or equipment is where detailed and careful investigation about a substance used for . . .
• Chemical research institute: Chemical research institute refers to a permanent organizational body created to conduct systematic investigation to establish facts relating to a substance or substances that take part in or are formed by reactions in which atoms or . . .
• Chemical toilet: Chemical toilet refers to a toilet using chemicals to disinfect the wasteRef: 84632/2006-08-20- Other Database Pages Exist for this Phrase: Chemical- Alternative Spellings (Synonyms): chemicals, Chemicals, Toilets
• Chemical wood pulp: Chemical wood pulp is characterized as a paper pulp made from coniferous and deciduous trees by cooking the wood with an alkaline solution to neutralize naturally occurring acids and to remove lignin

Weblinks

• industrie-lexikon.de: 'Chemikalie' in the industrie-lexikon.de (German)
• medizin-und-kosmetik.de: 'Chemikalie' im Lexikon von medizin-und-kosmetik.de (German)
• umweltdatenbank.de: 'Chemikalie' im Lexikon der umweltdatenbank.de (German)
• architektur-lexikon.de: 'Chemikalie' in the architektur-lexikon.de (German)
• quality-database.eu: 'Chemical' in the glossary of the quality-database.eu

Summary

As a noun, Chemical denotes a substance with a fixed composition and properties that is central to industrial activity. It functions across the industry as a feedstock (raw material), a process aid (catalyst or solvent), or as a final product (paints, pharmaceuticals). The chemical industry is critical because it underpins global manufacturing by synthesizing the foundational substances necessary for nearly all modern materials and technologies.

--