A formulation chemist works with chemical mixtures that are stable in their surroundings. Unlike other chemists who frequently combine reactive chemicals to create new compounds from a variety of chemical reactants, formulation chemists combine a variety of chemicals with the expectation that no chemical reaction will occur. One of the main responsibilities of this type of chemist is to combine ingredients in manufacturing plants that produce cosmetics, paints, and detergents, among other things. Alternatively, these chemists could come up with new non-reactive ingredient combinations.
In theory, any ingredients mixed together a formulation chemist could be extracted from a product. Salt water, for example, is created when table salt and water are mixed together. Because there is no chemical reaction between the salt and the water when they are mixed together, the molecules remain intact. The salt will be left behind after the water has been boiled off, allowing the ingredients in salt water to be separated from one another. Any ingredients that a formulation chemist mixes together will combine in this way, dispersing throughout each other but remaining chemically intact, allowing them to be separated from one another, though separation may be difficult.
Formulation chemists are employed in a number of different industries. Paint, ink, cosmetics, soaps and detergents, and pesticide manufacturing are some of the more common examples. Formulation chemists may be used gasoline manufacturers to add ingredients to gasoline, such as ethanol and benzene, that help the fuel burn cleaner.
Combining ingredients is one of a formulation chemist’s main responsibilities. These chemists measure out ingredients and mix them together until a relatively homogeneous product is created. They may use machines to measure and mix large amounts of product, as well as test products to ensure that the ratios are correct and that the mixtures meet the manufacturer’s specifications.
There are also positions for formulation chemists that are more experimental. These chemists may try out new ingredient combinations and tweak existing formulas in the hopes of improving them. Despite the fact that these chemists will not be working with reactive chemicals, they are expected to have a thorough understanding of how chemicals react with one another so that they do not mix reactive chemicals accident.