When you’re trying to develop and commercialize a chemical idea, you need to decide whether to do the formulation work internally or outsource it.
You may not have the time or money to start up your own laboratory, pilot plant, and manufacturing facility to see the project through until the end. Or maybe you have one of the best formulation staffs in your industry, but they’re booked solid.
If you’re looking for a way to get a product formulated and scaled up to hit revenue targets, an external formulation chemist has the knowledge and capabilities to bring your idea to market. They can walk you through the steps of product development and turn your project into cash-flow quickly.
In this article, we’ll explain what an external formulation chemist does, the qualities you should look for in a partner, and the advantages of working with an outside expert.
What Does a Formulation Chemist Do?
In the culinary arts, a chef combines food ingredients to achieve the desired outcome, which is a tasty meal. In the world of science, a formulation chemist combines chemical ingredients to achieve the desired outcome, which is a product that generates a desired result.
A formulation chemist utilizes training and experience to develop a recipe or formulation that can be efficiently and affordably produced. They make sure the formulation has the required shelf life and meets handling, storage, and application requirements. They have experience dealing with many different products and safely taking care of any complexities that arise.
A formulation chemist confirms the recipe performs as intended. They won’t let your product leave the laboratory until they’re positive the formula is ready to do its job. They test the product for performance and desired characteristics before moving on from the lab to the pilot plant. They work to maximize and prove the effectiveness of the formulation well ahead of full-scale production.
What Qualities Should a Formulation Chemist Have?
Formulation chemistry is a complex and challenging field. The scientist you work with needs to be hands-on, resourceful, and creative.
Safety-Minded
A formulation chemist should be up to date on safety training and practice day-to-day safety protocols. They need to make personal protective equipment (PPE) a top priority and respect the environment. They must have the appropriate equipment and necessary technologies in their laboratory.
Experience
A formulation chemist ought to have the education and experience needed to succeed in formulation development. They must have previously worked in new product development, quality control management, and intellectual property management. They need to possess excellent experimental design and execution skills.
Relationships
A formulation chemist should have extensive relationships outside the laboratory to expedite the completion of projects, specifically with suppliers of raw materials.
They need to have a vast knowledge of pesticide, chemical, and other industrial markets and be able to provide examples of their work. They must have an in-depth understanding of the end user’s requirements.
Why Should I Work with an External Formulation Chemist?
Working with an external formulation chemist is the right decision if you are lacking in labor, equipment, or skill.
Labor
You may need the assistance of an external formulation chemist if your team is already at capacity, or you just don’t have any personnel at all. You will need experts in the industry with the ability to complete a project with a high degree of certainty that the product will turn out as you wish.
Equipment
You may not have the specialized equipment necessary for the job. Some of the equipment often used by an external formulation chemist includes jet pulverizer mill, hammermill, high-speed disperastor, bench-top wet mills with ceramic media, mixers, and extruders. This equipment should be able to replicate the conditions that will be used to make your product at industrial scale.
Skill
An external formulation chemist may have deeper skills and experience than an internal resource. An outside resource, especially a CDMO, may have a lab, pilot plant, and scaled capacity that may not exist internally. An external formulation chemist may have additional space if temporary equipment needs to be brought in to meet your specific needs.
How Can I Contact an External Formulation Chemist?
Now you know what an external formulation chemist does and what to look for when contracting this valuable resource. You also learned the benefits of working with an external formulation chemist compared to doing the job internally.
When you choose CJB Applied Technologies for your formulation projects, you’ll get decades of experience in contract development services, scale-up/pilot plant production, and consulting/product recovery. We can help you achieve your formulation goals and objectives to ramp up profits and cash-flow.
Contact us and one of our CJB Applied Technologies experts will get in touch ASAP. The sooner you provide us with your contact information, the sooner we can get to work.
