ABSTRACT
Of all Italian industries, the chemicals sector is one of the most com plex and difficult to define. It has a complicated internal structure and overlaps with other major industrial branches. It merges into the extrac tive industry in the mining of its raw materials, into the metallurgical industry in the production of coke and non-ferrous metals, and into tex tiles in the production of synthetic fibres. Its products include industrial and domestic chemicals and detergents, paints and dyes, plastics, fibres, rubber and pharmaceutical goods.
