A History of the International Chemical Industry (Chemical Sciences in Society)

Aims to provide an international perspective on chemistry, integrating the story of chemical science with that of the chemical industry, and emphasizing important developments of the 20th century.

Fred Aftalion's international perspective of the history of chemistry integrates the story of chemical science with that of chemical industry. This new edition includes events from 1990 to 2000, when major companies began selling off their divisions, seeking to specialize in a particular business. Aftalion explores the pitfalls these companies encountered as well as the successes of "contrarians"—those companies that remained broad and diversified. He uses BASF, Dow, and Bayer as examples of true contrarians.

Unlike conventional histories written about the field of chemistry, this study presents an international perspective, integrating the story of chemical science with that of the chemical industry, and emphasizing the developments of the twentieth century. The chemical industry was born in the middle of the eighteenth century out of the demands created by other industries.