A comprehensive survey of industrial organic chemicals, their useful properties, and the economic rationale for the dominant synthetic pathways. This practical guide explains where these organic building blocks of the chemical industry come from, how to make them on a commercial scale, how to price them, and how to analyze trends in demand and production of any given material. Coverage ranges from how and why different processes originated to the latest developments in high-value-added specialty chemicals.

Harry H. Szmant is the author of Organic Building Blocks of the Chemical Industry, published by Wiley.