The Chemical Industry: What is it? by Harold Wittcoff a n d W. Conard Fernelius
A Definitlon T o define the chemical industrv we first must define chemistry. Basically chemistry is science which is concerned with the composition of materials and with changes which those materials undergo. Applied chemistry is concerned with the use of those materials for the creation of eoods and services. These definitions in turn define the chemical industry, for this is exactly what the chemical industry does. It synthesizes chemicals, modifies and formulates those chemicals, and then converts them into useful materials, that is, into goods and services. The portion of the chemical industry which does the synthesizing is called the Basic Chemical Industry. That nortion which does the conversion into nroducts which mav be used by other segments of the chemic'al industry, by othe; industries. or indeed hv the consumer in his home or earden is called the Allied ~ r o d u c t Industry. s In the earlv 1900's the Allied Products Industrv was small: t h r chemit a
