ABSTRACT
When using "Specialty Chemicals" as a chapter heading, one must bear in mind that this is an extremely broad category. Numerous chemicals, which could have been included if this were a book in itself, have been omitted by the author's choice. Instead, a representative or two was chosen from a broad list of product categories such as medicine, food and nutrition, and agriculture. Choice was based on a combination of quantities of acetic acid-based chemicals used in the production of these chemicals and on the importance of these chemicals in our everyday lives. However, various chemicals, such as calcium and sodium acetate and acetanilide used in the manufacture of dyestuffs, have been omitted owing to limited space. The acetates of mono-, di-, and triglycerides, which consume large volumes of acetic anhydride and are important chemicals used in the food industry, will not be discussed in this text because the technical issues that surround their manufacture do not warrant further discussion. A text entitled Food Additives provides in adequate detail the uses of the acetates of starch, mono-, di-, and triglycerides [1].
