kemikl/

noun
plural noun: chemicals
a compound or substance that has
been purified or prepared, especially
artificially.
"never mix disinfectant with other
chemicals"

: Chemistry is the study of matter and its

interactions with other matter. Anything
made of matter is therefore a chemical.
Any liquid, solid, gas. Any pure
substance; any mixture. Water is a
chemical. Technically speaking, so is a
chunk of your computer.

A chemical can often be broken down

into components, as is true with your
computer. However, people generally
use the term 'chemical' to refer to a
substance that appears homogeneous
or the same throughout its structure

Chemicals are made from the building

blocks called atoms. Everything that is
inorganic (not made from plants &
animals) are made from chemicals.
Chemicals are identified from the
elements in the periodic chart.

Chemicals ensure that we have heat

and power; that we can buy goods and
clothing; and that we have continual
access to telecommunication, media
and music wherever we are. Many of the
changes we observe in the natural world
around us are actually caused by
chemical reactions, such as the
changing colours of leaves and the
growth of a flower.

Chemicals are a significant contributor

to our economies. Sound chemical
management across the lifecycle of a
chemical from extraction or production
to disposal is therefore essential to
avoid risks to human health and the
environment.

Cleaning Products
Clothing
Fragrances
Insecticides
Paints

Detergents are products that contain an

active substance called surfactants or
surface active material. Surfactants are
able to reduce the tension of the water
surface so that water can mix with oil or
fat. That is why we wash dirty clothes with
detergent the detergent can remove
dirt in a solid or liquid form.

The detergent ingredient in a shampoo is

also able to reduce the water surface
tension, with the aim of thoroughly
wetting the hair, allowing it to be
cleaned. Shampoo also breaks down fat
so that the grease in hair gets removed.

Toothpaste is made of water and

abrasives, such as aluminium hydroxide
and calcium carbonate. It may also
contain sweeteners, dyes, breath
freshners, germ and microbe resistors,
and an active substance called sodium
fluoride, which strengthens the tooth
enamel and protects against cavities.

Textiles used for making clothes are

sometimes finished by chemical
processes to enhance their
characteristics. For example, finishing
agents are used to strengthen fabrics
and make them wrinkle free.

During the manufacturing process, a

textile may go through a range of
chemical and non-chemical treatments.
These include preparation and pretreatment, dyeing, printing and
refinement of fabrics. Certain products
used in textiles are highly specialised
chemicals such as biocides, flame
retardants, water repellents and warp
sizes.

Research on nanomaterials has led to

additional developments, such
as permanent treatments based on
nanoparticles and nanostructures to
make textiles more resistant to water,
stains, wrinkles, bacteria and mould.

A fragrance is an aromatic chemical

compound that has a smell. Aromatic
chemical compounds usually vapourise,
so that the smell reaches our noses. This is
why a fragrance is always kept in a
bottle with a narrow neck.

Fragrances can be made of synthetic or

natural substances. Most natural
fragrances derive from plants such as
the flower, fruit, root, bark, or wood. For
example, the geraniol from rose,
jasmone from jasmine, citrus from
orange, and sassafras oil from sassafras
woods.

Perfume is a mixture of fragrant essential

oils or aroma compounds, fixatives and
solvents that give the human body a
pleasant scent.

An example of insecticide active

substances used in houses are
permethrin and tetramethrin. These
synthetic chemicals work by attacking
the nervous system of insects

There are many types of paint, which are

specifially designed according to the
item to be painted, such as wall paint,
wood paint, car paint and iron paint.
Paints are either water-based or oilbased, depending on the solvent being
used.

Paints are a mixture of ingredients

binders, pigments/colorants, additives
and a solvent or carrier - that originate
from fossil, mineral, biological and
synthetic sources. Additives can improve
the performance of the paint, such as a
fungicide to act against mould,
coagulants to make the paint thicker
and other substances that protect paints
from water or sunlight.

Chemicals bring about benefits upon

which modern society is entirely
dependent. They also make a vital
contribution to the economic and social
wellbeing of citizens in terms of trade
and employment.

The global production of chemicals has

increased from 1 million tonnes in 1930 to
several hundreds of million tonnes today.
The chemical industry converts raw
materials, such as oil, natural gas, air,
water, metals, and minerals into
thousands of different products. In 2011,
the EU had the world's second largest
chemical industry after China.

According to a survey of public opinion

by the European Commission in 2013, EU
citizens are generally well aware of the
wide application of chemicals. 61% of
Europeans say that chemicals on the EU
market today are safer than 10 years
ago.

http://echa.europa.eu/chemicals-in-ourlife/why-are-chemicals-important

aboutchemistry.com