Speciality Chemicals are adhesives, agrochemicals, cosmetic additives, construction chemicals, elastomers, food additives, industrial gases, lubricants, polymers, surfactants, textile auxiliaries. Other industrial sectors such as automotive, aerospace, food, cosmetics, agriculture, manufacturing, and textiles are highly dependent on such products.

Speciality chemicals (also called specialties) are particular chemical products which provide a wide variety of effects on which many other industry sectors rely on. Speciality chemicals are materials used on the basis of their performance or function. Consequently, in addition to "effect" chemicals they are sometimes referred to as "performance" chemicals or "formulation" chemicals. They can be unique molecules or mixtures of molecules known as formulations.