Custom Chemical Analysis
and Problem Solving
There's
an unknown substance on my product. Can you identify it?
Can
you determine why the {coating, adhesive} we use on our product failed?
I'm concerned that my competitor has copied my product. Can you investigate? We can assay your competitor's product for ingredients like yours. My competitor has come up with a superior product. Can you find out what's in it and how to make it? When we deformulate a product, we approach the project in three phases. The first phase is a survey analysis, in which we characterize the product for number of ingredients and identity of one major ingredient that is not water or solvent. The next phase is the "analysis" phase, in which we find out the composition of the product - the quantity and generic identity of each component. The analysis report also includes a listing of the function of the ingredients we find, as well as a list of potential suppliers of the raw materials. Even though we are unable to identify the brand or grade of the ingredients, some customers find this to be sufficient information. In the final phase, which we call the "rebuild" phase, we actually rebuild the product, "tweaking" the formula with various grades of raw ingredients to obtain optimum performance, and determining how to add and mix the ingredients for small batches. When you contract with us to perform the "rebuild" phase, we guarantee that we will deliver a product prototype that performs as well as the original on pre-agreed functions. Can you help me find out if my part is made out of the plastic I specified? Absolutely! We are experts in polymer identification. I
am trying to sell something to {an aerospace company, a military contractor,
an automotive manufacturer, the government}, but they want to know if my
product meets specifications before they will buy it. What do I do?
Our company quality policy requires that we document that incoming raw materials meet certain specifications. Where do we start? If you know what your specifications are, simply contract with us to perform the required tests. You can use our test report in your documentation. If you are starting from scratch, you can retain us as consultants to develop your raw material specifications. Can
you tell me whether my {plastic, fabric, rubber} is strong enough?
Can you find out if the {textile, plastic, composite} I {sell, buy} meets flammability requirements? We can perform small scale vertical, horizontal, and 45° flammability tests per CPSC, FAA, ASTM, FTMS, and NFPA methods. I have an idea for a product, but don't know whether it's possible. Where do I start? Contract with us to perform a feasibility study. We will search the commercial, academic, and patent literature to determine whether your chemical concept is possible in theory. We will write a report describing our findings and possible implementations or reactions, and we will give you our opinion on the feasibility of developing a product within the constraints of your idea. If we think the idea is feasible, then you may contract with us to develop prototypes of your product. Can you prepare a Material Safety Data Sheet for my product? Indeed. We follow the OSHA format for MSDS preparation. Usually, we use documented hazard data of the ingredients to estimate the hazardous component, toxicity, and labeling sections. We empirically determine the physical properties (boiling point, freezing point, evaporation rate, vapor pressure, vapor density, solubility in water, specific gravity, percent volatile, flash point, explosive limits, and reactivity). Is the plastic I want to use for {food packaging, food storage} acceptable? If you tell us what type of plastic it is, and what its intended use is, we can perform the appropriate FDA tests to determine whether your plastic is acceptable for contact with food or beverages. Can you find suppliers of the raw materials that I need for a project? Contract with us to search the trade literature for you. We have access to many supplier catalogs, as well as on-line database subscriptions. We can also perform raw material cost calculations for various batch sizes and arrange to have samples sent to you for evaluation. Do you perform contract research? "Research" is in our name to indicate our interest, availability, and ability to perform contract research projects. We have performed contract research for government and private agencies, and are always interested in considering a new Request For Proposal. Our company needs the services of a chemist for a long term project. How can you help us? Outsource your project to our laboratory! Our chemists are versatile and highly competent. Contact us to tell us what you need, and we will submit a proposal to you. Can you help us improve our product? If your product can be better, we can address the chemical issues that may improve it. Initially, we would sit down with you and understand what performance criterion you wish to improve. Then we would identify what chemical changes could be made to theoretically improve performance. Finally, we would make prototypes of the "improved" formulations, and either evaluate them for performance or give to you to evaluate for performance. You may retain us to serve as consultants on most matters relating to chemistry, chemicals, materials, and chemical products. We have extensive formulation, analysis, and literature search experience, and are experts in explaining technical matters to the non-scientist. Can you provide expert advice or testimony for a civil litigation matter? We are experts in problem solving and analysis of unknown compounds, with the goal of providing sufficient information to support your client's claim or helping you decide whether your client should settle the case. We can also review data that you have obtained in the discovery process and explain it to help you develop your strategy. Can you determine whether a competitor is violating our patent? If the alleged patent violation has to do with chemical composition, chemical reaction, or chemical performance, we can help you. We would review the claims of your patent, and then test or analyze the competitor's product to see if it matched any of the claims. It is important that we work very closely with you and your patent attorney on such a project. Can you determine the cause of a product {defect, failure}? If the product defect or failure is related to chemical composition or chemical contaminants, we can determine the cause of the failure or defect. Usually we compare the defective product with an exemplar product and its raw materials, and find out what is different between the "good" vs. "bad". My company makes a product that we think is better than our competitor's. Can you help us prove it? If your product is better than your competitor's in an objectively measurable way, we can help you. Using standardized test methods, or adapting existing test methods to your product, we can perform physical evaluation tests to determine whether it cleans better, lasts longer, acts more quickly, is stronger, is more durable, is more resistant, etc.. Now that you've tested our product, may we put your name on our product label so people will know how good our product is? You may NOT use our company name or logo on your product label or in your product literature, because that would make it look like we endorse your product. You may make true statements regarding results of testing we have conducted, and you may show people a copy of our test report upon request, or include a full copy of the test report with your marketing materials. Who are your typical customers? Many of our customers are small manufacturers who have occasional need for a chemistry expert. Some of our customers are law firms or insurance companies who need an expert chemist on their case. Some of our customers are entrepreneurs with a great idea for a product. And finally, some of our customers are government agencies and private concerns who contract with us to perform a research project. Can you supply me a copy of an ASTM procedure? We do not sell, distribute, or provide copies of ASTM documents. We suggest you go to the ASTM Store to browse the method titles and purchase your own copy. How quickly can you complete my project? We are usually able to start your project within days of receiving the sample. Our goal is to complete assays, unknown identification, material performance tests, MSDS preparation, literature search, etc. in less than two weeks. More complex problem solving projects and product deformulation will take longer. How much will my project cost? Contact us by email or by phone with a description of your project, and we will be happy to provide an obligation-free cost proposal. We require a retainer for new clients, product development projects, consulting projects, and for litigation support projects. For the smaller projects, our terms are COD until we have established a long-term business relationship with you. Once you have established credit with us, our payment terms are Net 30. Payments may be made by check, money order, electronic transfer, or Visa/ Mastercard/ Discover. We require advance payment by electronic or wire transfer for all international projects. How much sample should I send? That will depend on what we are going to do for you. We will let you know how much sample to send when we give you a price quote. Where should I send samples? Be sure to send samples for delivery during business hours: Monday through Friday, 9:00-4:30 Pacific Time. Our facility and shipping address are the same: American Research and Testing Inc. 14934 S. Figueroa St. Gardena CA 90248 |