Using Fine and Specialty Chemicals

Knowing more about fine and specialty chemicals can improve your processing and product lines
By Emily Lugg Fine and specialty chemicals can benefit your business in several ways. Using a chemical specially designed for a particular use will make you, and your finished products, more efficient. Even the slightest difference in specialty chemicals can make leaps and bounds in product development or in a new processing method.
 

Using fine and specialty chemicals from fine chemical suppliers is a strategic and sensitive matter, as is working with any chemical. The difference, however, with specialty chemicals, is that they are often made in much smaller batches and are harder to come by than your average laboratory chemical. Specialty chemicals producers can help you to find the exact combination that works for you, so being precise and careful is even more important when using fine and specialty chemicals. Consider the following when stocking your laboratory:

1. Specialty chemicals may cost more initially but can make for a more efficient finished product.

2. A proper health and safety plan should be implemented before using any laboratory chemicals.

3. Having a discussion with your specialty chemicals manufacturer about what applications you plan on using is essential to the proper development of specialty chemicals.

Use specialty chemicals to improve your processing or product line

While your adhesives or cleaning products may be efficient, are they the best they can be? Do your laboratory tests produce fast and accurate results? Maybe, but are they the fastest and most accurate they can be? Specialty chemicals manufacturing can help you improve your business and the satisfaction of your customers. If you are using chemicals in your laboratory or plant facility that anyone can order and that are produced in mass quantities, consider if a special formulation or a hard-to-find ingredient may improve your processing times or finished product efficiency.
Try: Companies like Waters can help you to analyze your current chemical practices and determine what specialty chemicals you can benefit from. Hexion discusses its ability to work with you on one of their many product lines -- wood composite binders.

Use products from specialty chemicals manufacturers carefully and safely

In some cases all it takes is a spill or adding too much of a certain chemical to create a dangerous situation. All employees should be trained at length about how to properly handle and use fine and specialty chemicals. Some of these solutions may be heavily concentrated, making them even more delicate by the drop. Establish a plan with employees, too, for what to do in the case of a chemical emergency.
Try: Ace Hardware has some tips for the safe use of chemicals. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is an excellent resource for preparing your employees to handle any chemical emergency that may come their way.

Use the knowledge of specialty chemical suppliers to ensure you receive the proper fine chemicals

Fine chemical suppliers have a wealth of knowledge that you should use to make sure you are supplied with the correct fine and specialty chemicals for your business. The more they are informed about your intentions for the chemicals, the better they can assist you to find the right match. Be sure to include them in product discussions when their manufactured chemicals are in question.
Try: Chem Point outlines their services and availability to their customers. BASF Catalysts explains how its process works in order to determine the correct fine and specialty chemicals for you.

• Remember when including fine and specialty chemical suppliers in your innovation process to have a confidentiality agreement in place prior to the discussions.