Other Industry Case Studies
Bursting Bird Food
A bird food manufacturer called Chemir when their product began exploding on store shelves. We discovered that the sucrose/water solution that they were using was fermenting as it sat in the hot plant where it was being manufactured. As it sat on the store shelves the product continued to ferment so effectively that the bottles exploded. Our highly experienced scientists found that the fermentation was due to contaminated raw materials and also reformulated the product using two sugars instead of one, which substantially decreased the risk of future fermentation.
Accidental Poisoning
The family of an ailing woman contacted Chemir when her physician suggested that her illness was likely due to heavy metals poisoning from something in her environment. One of our scientists visited her home and collected samples of items and products she came into contact with on a daily basis. In our minds, the likely culprit was a set of antique dishes that was used daily since old glazing techniques often produce dishes containing high concentrations of heavy metals. The samples were prepared for analysis by ICP and we were able to perform a non-destructive leaching technique so that the plate could be returned. As suspected, our analysis confirmed that there were heavy metals, including lead, in the plates. These metals were leaching into the food served on the dishes. We contacted the family with our findings and suggested that they use their antique dishes for display only.
Quantification of Released Formaldehyde
A client needed to have the formaldehyde that was released from their car speakers quantitated. They needed to know exactly how much was released from their products because they were going to start selling the products in the EU, which has much stricter regulations on the amount of formaldehyde released from products than the United States. Our chemists found that the speakers released quite a bit of formaldehyde, causing them to go back to the manufacturing process and figure out a different adhesive to use so that they could sell their products in the EU.
Semiconductor Contaminant Identified
A manufacturer faced downtime due to contamination in a liquid used in semiconductor production. Needing quick and accurate answers, they called Chemir. The sample was lyophilized and analyzed by Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy (NMR). The analysis revealed the presence of poly-N-methyl-4-vinylpyridinium methylsulfate, a type of polymer. This contaminant was then confirmed by Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) analysis. The client was able to identify the source of contamination, prevent further contamination, and avoid production downtime.