Phthalates

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A class of chemical additives frequently employed to improve the durability and flexibility of plastics in various applications
2. Compounds that are often incorporated into cosmetic and hygiene products to mix other ingredients more effectively
3. Chemicals commonly added to plastics to increase their flexibility and toughness

Etymology: "Phthalates" is the plural of "phthalate", a chemical name built from a shortened form of "naphthalene". The root is "naphthalic acid", an older name for a chemical acid derived from naphthalene, the hydrocarbon found in coal tar. Chemists later shortened this to "phthal-", took the "-ic" from "phthalic" and added the "-ate" ending used for salts and esters, producing the name "phthalate" for a family of related compounds. The word is therefore a technical coinage from the chemistry of coal-derived substances rather than an old word with a long everyday history. Its parts are straightforward: "phthal-" marks the chemical origin, and "-ate" identifies the compound class. The plural simply refers to the whole group of these esters, which are used as plasticizers in many consumer products.