Specialty Chemicals & Coatings
Industries manufacturing or using specialty chemicals and coatings rely on RJ Lee Group scientists to verify product integrity or to discover inconsistencies.
We validate the morphology, composition and uniformity of materials to ensure integrity and uncover trace contaminants.
Matthew J. Perricone, Ph.D. Industry Contact
Specialty chemicals are often the result of innovative and exhaustive development and experimentation. Industries that produce pharmaceuticals, electronic chemicals, specialty paints, pigments and coatings, dyes, advanced polymers, adhesives, and sealants rely on specialty chemicals to formulate the ingredients that set their product apart in a competitive industry. Because composition is essential to product performance ingredients are proprietary and often patented. To ensure the integrity of these chemicals, manufacturers trust our experts to validate the morphology of the specialty chemical material, its composition and uniformity and to uncover trace contaminants.
Serving Our Non-Chemical Clients
As a materials characterization laboratory we can also view specialty chemicals from another aspect:
- to assist a pipeline manufacturer in the development of specific chemical formulas to control corrosion or provide meaningful data that impacts corrosion growth based on the metals used;
- to determine the impact of special chemicals on the passive layer of thin oxide films on metals or semiconductors, glass and ceramics;
- to provide reverse engineering on oil samples and identify bio markers to determine structure similarity;
- to analyze for possible patent infringement.
Mirrors to Metals
Coatings work because they adhere well to the substrate and have high cohesive strength. Coating manufacturers rely on RJ Lee Group scientists to verify uniformity, thickness and structure in their products. For example, in addition to our AIHA accreditation for determining lead in paint, we can perform forensic paint analyses to determine paint identification and formulations, or we can determine the cause of corrosion pinholes in a coating.
We ensure that each sample is prepared using the appropriate method for the analysis required such as cross-sectioning, microtoming or freeze-fracture. Using the scanning electron microscope (SEM), we analyze coating cross-sections for structure, adherence, gaps and contaminants. Thickness is measured using analytical chemistry techniques such as Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray Photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) for depth profiling, and Raman spectroscopy. For ultra-high purity products, Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectroscopy (ICP/MS) can provide information on trace contaminants. If a non-destructive method is required, our analysts rely on X-ray Fluorescence (XRF) or X-ray Diffraction (XRD) techniques.
Protecting Your Patent and Your Environment
Specialty chemical and coating manufacture may present challenges in keeping the occupational environment and product-use environment clear of contaminants. RJ Lee Group's industrial hygiene expertise and field services team can also assist manufacturers in ensuring a safe and clean environment.
