Multiple industries, including the food, automotive, cosmetic, and manufacturing sectors, depend on chemicals to produce their products. One type of chemical that your company may need is known as a performance chemical. Performance chemicals are also referred to as effect or specialty chemicals. Here are a few things you need to know about performance chemicals.

1. A Performance Chemical Isn't Any Single Substance

As the name suggests, the focus of performance chemicals is on what the compound actually does, versus the specific substances or molecules that comprise the chemical. A performance chemical produces a specific reaction, and this is the most important characteristic of the molecules that comprise the chemical.

This means that any number of molecules or compounds can function as a performance chemical. For example, if you need a chemical act as an accelerant, there are multiple substances that can speed up the chemical process.

2. The Nature of Your Work May Dictate Which Performance Chemical Is Right for Your Company

When considering different performance chemicals, you'll start by shopping for the substances that produce your desired effects. Then, you'll narrow your options down based on the distinct needs of your company.

Some performance chemicals are reactants. This means that they produce the desired chemical reaction, and they're consumed by the chemical reaction. Other performance chemicals produce a byproduct that wouldn't otherwise be present. As an example, a catalyst speeds up the rate of the reaction and is not consumed by the reaction.

Your industry will determine whether you want a performance chemical that is or isn't consumed by the chemical reaction. If you don't want to change your end product, you'll need to use a performance chemical that isn't a reactant. Or, if you know that you want to produce a specific compound, you'll need to pay attention to the final product produced by all the reactants (including the performance chemical).

It's possible to dispose of reactants produced by the performance chemical, but you'll need to take this into account when engineering processes and determining the cost of producing the chemicals.

3. Price and Performance Will Dictate Your Ideal Performance Chemical

Many businesses have to evaluate both the price and performance of potential performance chemicals when they make their selection. Some performance chemicals may be lower-priced, but they may impact your final product. If the effects are something that will deter your customers, you might prefer a higher-priced option that doesn't impact the quality of the product.

In the case of reactions used to produce cosmetics, changing the performance chemical might produce a product that doesn't last as long on the wearer's skin. You'll likely want to use a different chemical so that your cosmetics maintain the same quality level.

Learn more about how to use performance chemicals by contacting a company that supplies them in your area.