Chemical Industry Guide

Isoamyl alcohol—also known as isopentyl alcohol or 3-methyl-1-butanol—is a shape-shifting ingredient that comfortably bridges fragrance labs, coatings plants, pharmaceutical clean rooms, breweries, and even the R&D bays of alternative fuels. In perfumery it’s the backbone behind “banana” and...

Glyoxylic acid sits at an unusual crossroads. It’s the quiet aldehydic acid behind glossy “formaldehyde-free” hair-smoothing services, a linchpin intermediate for blockbuster pharmaceuticals such as amoxicillin and atenolol, a feedstock to flavours like vanillin, and a workhorse in agrochemicals...

Gamma-butyrolactone (GBL) is one of those quiet, workhorse molecules whose impact far exceeds its fame. In 2022, the global GBL market was widely estimated around the mid-$3.6–3.7 billion mark and is tracking toward roughly $5 billion by 2032 on the back of electronics, capacitor electrolytes,...

Ethylene carbonate (EC) has become a quiet linchpin of the energy transition. This small cyclic carbonate—solid at room temperature, highly polar, and uniquely suited to form stable interphases on graphite—sits at the heart of mainstream lithium-ion (Li-ion) electrolyte formulations. As...

Ethyl methyl carbonate (EMC) has quietly become one of the most strategic molecules in the clean-tech economy. As a high-purity carbonate ester, EMC sits at the intersection of electrochemistry, sustainable manufacturing, and advanced formulations—from lithium-ion batteries to speciality coatings,...

Propionic anhydride is one of those behind-the-scenes reagents whose influence stretches far beyond its modest profile. In the lab it is the propionylating workhorse that turns alcohols and amines into propionate esters and amides; in industry it is a gateway into antihistamines, corticosteroid...

Dimethyl itaconate (DMI) has moved from a niche research reagent to one of the most discussed small molecules in immunometabolism. As a membrane-permeable ester of the endogenous metabolite itaconate, DMI has been reported to quell excessive inflammation, to reshape innate immunity, and to protect...

Diisopropyl ether (DIPE) has long been the quiet achiever of solvent cupboards and refinery units—turning up in lab crystallisations, plant-scale extractions, organic syntheses, and the odd gasoline formulation trial. Over the past decade it has moved steadily from “special use” status to a...

Diethyl itaconate (DEI) is a quietly powerful building block in the bio-based monomer family. Derived from itaconic acid—a fermentation product made at industrial scale—DEI offers a rare blend of sustainability credentials and genuine formulation utility. It is a reactive monomer with an...

Dibasic Esters (DBE)—a balanced blend of dimethyl adipate, glutarate and succinate—have quietly become the workhorse solvent behind many low-VOC successes. Valued at about $90 billion in 2024, the global DBE market is projected to double by 2037 as formulators everywhere swap flammable,...