Consumer chemical specialties

Abstract

Some myths die hard; there are still people who believe that the world is flat. So, too, some people hold the unshakable belief that chemical companies are misfits when it comes to marketing products directly to the consumer. It ain't necessarily so. This myth grew from a few well-publicized failures. Mention consumers and chemical companies in the same breath and some people start to recite details of Monsanto's sad experience with air detergent, the chemical companies' Edsel. Dow's Dowgard and DuPont's Telar also are on the see what I mean list. There are others. In all fairness, however, chemical companies have a better track record in the consumer market than they are often given credit for. Who can deny the success of DuPont's Lucite paints, Union Carbide's Eveready batteries, GAF's Ansco line of photographic products, or 3M's Scotch brand tapes? It's possible to tick off success stories in other consumer areas—recreational chemicals such as swimming ...