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U.S. specialty chemical markets end Q2 on a solid note, ACC says

| By Scott Jenkins

The American Chemistry Council (ACC; Washington, D.C.; www.americanchemistry.com) reported that U.S. specialty chemicals market volumes ended the second quarter on a solid note, increasing 0.4 percent in June after a slightly revised 0.4 percent gain in May, and a 1.0 percent gain in April. All changes in the data are reported on a three-month moving average (3MMA) basis. Of the twenty-eight specialty chemical segments monitored by ACC, eighteen expanded in June, nine experienced decline and one featured no change. During June, large market volume gains (1.0 percent and over) occurred in electronic chemicals and oilfield chemicals, ACC said.

The overall specialty chemicals volume index was up 4.8 percent on a year-over-year (Y/Y) 3MMA basis. The index stood at 112.9 percent of its average 2012 levels in June. This is equivalent to 7.69 billion pounds (3.49 million metric tons). On a Y/Y basis, there were gains among twenty-one market and functional specialty chemical segments. Compared to last year, volumes were down in seven segments.

Specialty chemicals are materials manufactured on the basis of the unique performance or function and provide a wide variety of effects on which many other sectors and end-use products rely. They can be individual molecules or mixtures of molecules, known as formulations. The physical and chemical characteristics of the single molecule or mixtures along with the composition of the mixtures influence the performance end product. Individual market sectors that rely on such products include automobile, aerospace, agriculture, cosmetics and food, among others.