Chemical product undifferentiated

Differentiated and Undifferentiated Products. An undifferentiated chemical product is one that has a specific chemical formula and particular physical specifications regardless of who produces it. An example is ethylene glycol defined by the specifications found in Table 5.2. Most of the high-volume chemicals produced by the chemical industry (H,SO j, O, N, ethylene, NH3, benzene, etc.) can be classified as undifferentiated. 

The level of technical service support provided for a given product generally tracks in large part where the suppHer considers thek product to be located within the spectmm of commodity to specialty chemicals. Technical service support levels for pure chemicals usually provided in large quantities for specific synthetic or processing needs, eg, ammonia (qv), sulfuric acid (see SuLFURic ACID AND SULFURTRIOXIDe), formaldehyde (qv), oxygen (qv), and so forth, are considerably less than for more complex materials or blends of materials provided for multistep downstream processes. Examples of the latter are many polymers, colorants, flocculants, impact modifiers, associative thickeners, etc. For the former materials, providing specifications of purity and physical properties often comprises the full extent of technical service requked or expected by customers. These materials are termed undifferentiated chemicals (9),... 

Because commodity and fine chemicals tend to be purchased on the basis of their chemical composition alone, they are undifferentiated. For example, there is nothing to choose between 99.9% benzene made by one manufacturer and that made by another manufacturer, other than price and delivery issues. On the other hand, specialty chemicals tend to be purchased on the basis of their effect or function and are therefore differentiated. For example, competitive pharmaceutical products are differentiated according to the efficacy of the product, rather than chemical composition. An adhesive is purchased on the basis of its ability to stick things together, rather than its chemical composition and so on. 

Most of the products from a petroleum refinery are true commodities, specified by their chemical compositions and physical characteristics rather than by any special effectiveness in use. They are mostly undifferentiated products sold in high volume and at low price. Innovations take place more often in the refinery processes than in the introduction of new products. 

---