The Differences Between Fine Chemicals And Refined Chemicals And Why It Matters
Posted on: 4 May 2017
The general public assumes that most chemicals are made or produced. Unless you have some background in chemistry and/or science, you may not know that many chemicals are found naturally in the world. Extracting these chemicals involves one process, while producing the chemicals in a factory involves another. Fine chemicals are very different from refined chemicals, and it is important to know the difference if you have order one or the other for something your own production plant makes or does.
Refined Chemicals Are Taken from Nature or Recycled
Most refined chemicals pass through a refinery or refining process. (They come from nature and have to be broken down and extracted from natural sources. One such example is chlorophyl, which is extracted from green leaves.) They are then bottled or packaged and sold to other companies.
Refined chemicals may also refer to recycled chemicals. These are chemicals that have already been used to create or produce another product and are the leftover residuals. These chemicals are then collected, returned to a refinery and put through a purification and refining process so that they may be used again. One such example is the chemical baths used by photographers to develop photos. The mixture of chemicals are too toxic to pour down the drain and yet, once used up, are no longer effective for what the photographer needs them for. However, they can be collected, recycled and refined.
Fine Chemicals Are Produced
Fine chemicals are small single batches of complex and extremely pure chemicals. These are chemicals that chemical companies make on demand and at the request of other companies. Because fine chemicals may be exceedingly dangerous or highly toxic, they are not produced in large quantities, stored regularly, or sold often to every plant. Fine chemicals are highly regulated as well, since most of them are flammable or potentially explosive.
However, fine chemicals certainly have a valid place in the world. They are necessary for the production of other products that people use everyday. Prescription medications and some over-the-counter medications rely on the development of small batches of find chemicals, which act as active and inert ingredients in these pills. If your plant deals in paint, medicine, agriculture, pest control or anything else that requires a very specific agent to make an effective product, chances are that you require the goods and services of a fine chemicals plant, and you cannot get what you need from a refined chemical plant. For more information, contact companies like N&M Specialty Chemicals.
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