Commercial classification of chemicals

Following the commercial classification of chemicals, chemicals produced by chemical industry can be divided essentially into three broad categories: Kline matrix was presented for the first time in 1970 by Charles Howard Kline.

[5] It is a more detailed classification of the previous one, that distinguished chemical commodities into two subclasses, called respectively "true commodities" and "pseudocommodities".

In general the classification of chemical industry products by the Kline matrix is related to the chemicals' worldwide production (measured for example in tons/year) and to their value added.

Some examples of basic chemicals are: ethylene, benzene, chlorine and sulfuric acid.

This categories is used in US and includes all the chemicals produced or imported by US in an amount higher than 1 million pounds.