The Periodic Table of Chemicals

117 chemicals, from acids and alkalis to polymers and specialty products: how each is made, from what, where, and why its margins cycle.

Commodity chemicals · Acids & alkalis

• Sulphuric acid: Most produced industrial acid, made by burning sulphur, for fertiliser and metal leaching
• Nitric acid: Strong acid oxidised from ammonia, the route to ammonium nitrate and explosives
• Hydrochloric acid: Cheap by-product acid of chlorine chemistry for steel pickling and oil wells
• Phosphoric acid: Phosphate rock dissolved in sulphuric acid; feeds DAP, MAP and LFP batteries
• Hydrofluoric acid: Acid made from fluorspar, gateway to refrigerants, fluoropolymers and chip etching
• Caustic soda: Main industrial alkali, co-made with chlorine, for alumina, pulp and soaps
• Chlorine: Toxic gas from electrolysing brine, the base of PVC and safe drinking water
• Hydrogen peroxide: Clean oxidiser that breaks down to water, for bleaching pulp and making propylene oxide

Commodity chemicals · Other inorganics

• Titanium dioxide: White pigment made from titanium ore, in almost all paint, plastics and paper
• Carbon black: Fine carbon from burning heavy oil, reinforcing tyres and colouring inks and plastics
• Sodium silicate: Water glass from sand and soda ash; source of silica for tyres and detergents
• Activated carbon: Porous adsorbent from coconut shell or coal for water, gold and food purification

Commodity chemicals · Industrial gases

• Hydrogen: Industrial gas mostly made from gas or coal, used in refining, ammonia and methanol
• Oxygen: Industrial gas separated from air, used to make steel and keep patients alive
• Nitrogen gas: Industrial gas from air separation, used for inerting and food packing
• Argon: Inert gas from air separation plants, shielding welds and chip and solar furnaces
• Carbon dioxide: By-product gas from ammonia and ethanol plants, for urea, fizzy drinks and oil fields

Commodity chemicals · Nitrogen & phosphate chemicals

• Ammonia: Nitrogen chemical made from hydrogen and air, the root of nearly all nitrogen fertiliser
• Urea: Most used solid nitrogen fertiliser, made from ammonia and CO2; India a big buyer
• Ammonium nitrate: Fast-acting nitrogen fertiliser that is also the main explosive in mines and quarries
• Ammonium sulphate: Low-cost nitrogen plus sulphur fertiliser, mostly a nylon and coke by-product
• DAP and MAP: Granular phosphate fertilisers made from phosphoric acid and ammonia

Commodity chemicals · Olefins

• Ethylene: Largest volume organic chemical, cracked from ethane or naphtha, mostly into polyethylene
• Propylene: Second largest olefin gas from crackers and refineries, mostly made into polypropylene
• Butadiene: Cracker by-product monomer for tyre synthetic rubbers, ABS and nylon intermediates

Commodity chemicals · Aromatics

• Benzene: Simplest aromatic from refining and cracking, the feed for styrene, phenol and nylon
• Toluene: Aromatic solvent and petrol blendstock, converted into xylenes, benzene and TDI
• Paraxylene: Aromatic from refineries that becomes PTA, then polyester fibre and PET bottles
• Styrene: Monomer from benzene and ethylene, polymerised into polystyrene, ABS and SBR rubber
• Phenol and acetone: Co-products from cumene that feed bisphenol A, phenolic resins and solvents

Commodity chemicals · Methanol & oxygenates

• Methanol: Simplest alcohol from gas or coal, building block for resins and a marine fuel
• Formaldehyde: Methanol derivative whose resins glue particleboard, MDF and plywood
• Acetic acid: Vinegar acid made from methanol, for vinyl acetate, PTA, solvents and paracetamol
• MTBE: Petrol octane booster from methanol and isobutylene, banned in the US
• Isopropanol: Fast-drying solvent and disinfectant alcohol used in pharma, inks and chip cleaning

Commodity chemicals · Derivatives & intermediates

• Ethylene oxide: Reactive toxic gas from ethylene, gateway to glycols, surfactants and sterilising
• Monoethylene glycol: Glycol made from ethylene oxide or coal that pairs with PTA to make polyester
• Propylene oxide: Reactive epoxide from propylene, mostly turned into polyols for polyurethane foam
• Vinyl chloride monomer: Gas made from ethylene and chlorine, polymerised into PVC
• Purified terephthalic acid: White powder from paraxylene that pairs with MEG to make all polyester and PET
• Acrylonitrile: Propylene and ammonia intermediate for ABS, acrylic fibre and carbon fibre
• Caprolactam: Nylon 6 monomer from benzene, with ammonium sulphate as a big co-product
• Bisphenol A: Phenol and acetone building block for polycarbonate and epoxy resins
• Acrylic acid: Propylene-derived acid for paint and adhesive acrylates and nappy superabsorbents
• Linear alkylbenzene: Kerosene and benzene feedstock that becomes LAS, the most used detergent surfactant

Pseudo-commodities · Commodity plastics

• Polyethylene (LDPE, LLDPE): Soft, flexible LDPE and LLDPE plastics used mostly for packaging film and bags
• High-density polyethylene: Stiff polyethylene grade for bottles, crates and pipes; easy to recycle
• Polypropylene: Most produced plastic: light, heat-resistant, for packaging, woven sacks and car parts
• PVC: Chlorine-based plastic for pipes, window frames, cables and flooring; India imports much
• PET resin: Clear polyester plastic for drinks bottles, trays and film; the most recycled plastic
• Polystyrene and EPS: Rigid and foamed plastic for food packs, appliance liners and insulation boards

Pseudo-commodities · Engineering plastics

• ABS: Tough, glossy engineering plastic for appliance housings, car interiors and toys
• Nylon (PA6, PA66): Polyamide plastics and yarns for textiles, tyre cord, airbags and car parts
• Polycarbonate: Clear, near-unbreakable plastic from bisphenol A for lighting, glazing and devices
• Acrylics (PMMA): Clear acrylic glass for signs, lamps, screens and glazing
• Fluoropolymers (PTFE, PVDF): Heat- and chemical-proof plastics for chips, batteries and seals; PFAS rules loom

Pseudo-commodities · Rubbers & elastomers

• Styrene-butadiene rubber: Main synthetic rubber in car tyre treads, made from butadiene and styrene
• Polybutadiene rubber: Synthetic rubber for tyre sidewalls and the toughener in impact polystyrene and ABS
• EPDM: Weather-resistant synthetic rubber for car door seals, hoses and roofing membranes
• Silicones: Silicon-oxygen polymers sold as sealants, rubbers and fluids for buildings and electronics

Pseudo-commodities · Resins & fibres

• Polyurethanes (MDI, TDI, polyols): Foams, coatings and elastomers from isocyanates and polyols, for insulation and furniture
• Epoxy resins: Tough thermosetting resins for coatings, circuit boards and wind turbine blades
• Polyester fibre: Dominant textile fibre, spun from PTA and MEG; key to Indian textile exports
• Viscose fibre: Man-made cellulose fibre regenerated from wood pulp, a cotton-like textile
• Unsaturated polyester resins: Low-cost styrene-based resins for glass-fibre pipes, tanks, boats and engineered stone

Specialty chemicals · Energy-transition chemicals

• Battery cathode materials: Positive electrode powders like LFP and NMC that set a cell's energy and cost
• Battery anode materials: Negative electrode powders, mostly synthetic graphite, that store lithium in cells
• Battery electrolytes: Lithium salt solutions that carry ions between electrodes inside battery cells
• Polysilicon: Ultra-pure refined silicon, the base of solar wafers and semiconductor chips

Specialty chemicals · Electronic chemicals

• Electronic specialty gases: Ultra-pure gases that etch, clean, deposit and dope chip layers in fabs
• Ultra-pure wet chemicals: Acids and solvents purified to parts per trillion to clean and etch chip wafers
• Photoresists: Light-sensitive polymers that transfer chip patterns onto wafers; Japan leads
• CMP slurries and pads: Abrasive slurries and pads that polish each chip layer flat; a fab consumable

Specialty chemicals · Catalysts

• Refining catalysts: Consumable catalysts that crack heavy oil into petrol and strip sulphur from diesel
• Autocatalysts: Exhaust converters coated with platinum group metals that clean car and truck fumes
• Chemical process catalysts: Catalysts that run big chemical reactions for ammonia, methanol, plastics and acids

Specialty chemicals · Performance additives

• Plasticisers: Oily esters that make PVC soft for cables, flooring and medical tubing
• Polymer additives: Antioxidants and stabilisers that stop plastics breaking down in processing and use
• Flame retardants: Additives that slow ignition and flame spread in plastics, cables, foams and textiles
• Lubricant additives: Detergents, dispersants and anti-wear agents that turn base oil into lubricants
• Rubber chemicals: Accelerators and antidegradants that vulcanise tyres fast and resist heat and ozone

Specialty chemicals · Coatings, adhesives & colourants

• Paints and coatings: Decorative, auto and industrial finishes built on TiO2 pigment and oil-based resins
• Adhesives and sealants: Glues and sealants that bond packaging, furniture, buildings, cars and electronics
• Dyes: Soluble colourants for textiles, leather and paper, made mostly in China and India
• Organic pigments: Insoluble carbon-based colourants giving durable shades to inks, paints and plastics

Specialty chemicals · Industrial & consumer specialties

• Surfactants: Cleaning molecules in detergents and shampoos, from oil or palm and coconut chains
• Water treatment chemicals: Coagulants, polymers and biocides for drinking water, effluent and cooling towers
• Construction chemicals: Admixtures, waterproofing and tile adhesives that make concrete stronger and drier
• Oilfield and mining chemicals: Drilling fluids and well additives, plus flotation and leaching reagents for mines
• Flavours and fragrances: Aroma chemicals and blends that give taste and scent to food, soaps and perfume
• Food and feed additives: Emulsifiers, preservatives, sweeteners and feed additives for processed food and livestock

Fine chemicals · Pharmaceutical

• Small-molecule APIs: Purified active molecules in medicines; India's generics base still imports hard inputs
• Pharma starting materials and intermediates: Building blocks one or more steps before an API; India's biggest China dependence
• Paracetamol: Most used painkiller and fever reducer; India leads API supply, key inputs from China
• Antibiotic intermediates (6-APA, 7-ACA): Fermented cores of penicillins and cephalosporins, long China-made, now Indian PLI target
• Peptides and oligonucleotides: Chain-molecule drugs such as GLP-1 and siRNA, made in tiny, solvent-heavy batches
• Pharmaceutical excipients: Inactive tablet fillers, binders and coatings from milk, wood and maize

Fine chemicals · Crop protection

• Herbicides: Weedkillers such as glyphosate; the largest, mostly generic crop protection class
• Insecticides: Crop pest killers such as pyrethroids and diamides; India's largest agrochemical class
• Fungicides: Crop disease protection such as triazoles and mancozeb; big for Brazil soybean rust

Fine chemicals · Other fine chemicals

• Fluorochemicals and refrigerants: Refrigerant gases and fluorinated building blocks made from HF under Kigali quotas
• Chiral and specialty building blocks: Single-handed molecules such as chiral amines used to build modern drugs and agrochemicals
• Custom synthesis (CDMO): Contract drug development and manufacturing for innovators, shifting partly towards India
• Reagents and high-purity lab chemicals: High-purity solvents, biochemicals and reference standards for testing and research labs
• Specialty amines and ethanolamines: Ammonia-derived amines and ethanolamines for drugs, agrochemicals and carbon capture

Bio-based chemicals · Oleochemicals

• Fatty acids: Acids split from palm, coconut and tallow for soaps, cosmetics, tyres and plastics
• Fatty alcohols: Palm kernel, coconut or ethylene alcohols forming the oily tail of detergent surfactants
• Glycerine: Sweet by-product of biodiesel and fat splitting, refined for personal care and pharma

Bio-based chemicals · Fermentation products

• Citric acid: Most used food acid, fermented from sugar by a mould; China sets the price
• Lactic acid and PLA: Sugar-fermented acid polymerised into PLA, the largest compostable bioplastic
• Amino acids (lysine, methionine): Lysine and methionine fed to livestock to balance diets and cut soymeal use
• Industrial enzymes: Fermented proteins that speed reactions in detergents, baking, ethanol and feed
• Vitamins: Essential micronutrients made by synthesis or fermentation for feed, food and pharma

Bio-based chemicals · Bio-based polymers & platforms

• Bio-based polyethylene and MEG: Sugarcane-based polyethylene and MEG, identical to fossil versions and sold at a premium
• PHA bioplastics: Bacteria-grown polyesters that biodegrade in soil and sea; promising but fragile business
• Furfural and furanics (FDCA): Corncob and bagasse chemicals, plus sugar-based FDCA for PEF bottles
• Starch and cellulose derivatives: Maize, cassava and wheat starch, its modified forms, sugars and cellulose ethers