The focus of chemistry is to study and understand the interactions that take place between chemical substances which are called chemical reactions. These reactions can occur at the atomic level and the resultant changes in matter and energy are what chemical scientists are keen to document and understand.

Modern chemistry is the natural progression of a much older practice of alchemy. Alchemy had much more of a philosophical and spiritual outlook, although practitioners were fascinated by the various transformations of substances when they were mixed in the correct way. The most famous of these pursuits was the quest to turn base metals into gold.

The study of chemistry requires an understanding of the fundamental building blocks of matter, and how these combine to form substances. The basic unit of all chemistry is the atom that consists of a nucleus of protons and neutrons with a number of electrons. Atoms can be grouped as elements, according to the number of the protons they contain.

A molecule is a collection of atoms that are held together by bonds and is the smallest indivisible portion of any substance (apart from an atom) that contains the exact chemical specification of that substance.

Each element has its own unique physical configuration, although certain elements that have similar characteristics to each other will often behave in a similar manner. This was observed by a Russian chemist called Dmitri Mendeleev who came up with a way to classify and organise these elements. This method is known as the periodic table.

Chemistry has helped to define many of the chemical reactions that take place in the natural world and has greatly furthered our understanding of the world around us. In the modern world chemistry is a fundamental process in our daily lives.

Plan to attend and present your recent work at Formulations Forum 2000, the most comprehensive international symposium on formulation science. Five Sessions will cover a cross-industry range of applications driven by formulation chemistry, including agriculture, coatings, food, household, industrial and institutional, pharmaceuticals and personal care.

The links on this page go to some individual abstracts and/or “members-only” access papers.

The entire papers may be read through the Members-only option, Acrobat Reader may be needed.

2000 Full Forum Papers
1999 Full Forum Papers

Abstracts below:

Solid Formulations

1. Dry Formulations, An Agricultural Perspective, L.M. Pugh
2. FDA Requirements for Scale-Up Site Transfer, J. P. Skelly
3. Bioinsecticides to Improve Residual Activity, R. W. Behle, P. Tamez-Guerra, B. S. Shasha, and M. R. McGuire
4. Powder Coatings for Optimum film performance, J. D. Pont
5. Tools for Process Manufacturers, S. D. Phelan
6. Using Electroacoustics to characterize Pesticide particles, E. C. Kostansek

Liquid Formulations

1. Surfactant Free Microemulsions, D. T. Aust
2. Alkyl Modified Siloxanes, D. T. Floyd
3. Cationic Polyelectrolytes, E. D. Goddard
4. Production of Stable, Accurately Controlled Particle Size Emulsions, Steve Lubetkin
5. Water-based Formulations of the Insecticide Malathion, M. Pederson
6. Formulation of Aklyldiphenyl Oxide Disulfonates, L.B. Quencer, S. Kokke-Hall, P. Inbasekaran
7. Surfactants and the Rapid Reduction of Surface Tension, Kathleen J. Stebe

Semi-Solid Formulations

1. Effects of Associative Thickeners on Dispersions, J. E. Glass
2. Ferroelectric Liquid Crystals, C. A. Guymon
3. Pigments for Industrial Paint Intermix Systems, R. Kumar
4. Improving Microgranule Formulations of Bioinsecticides, P. Tamez-Guerra1, R. W. Behle, M. R. McGuire, L. J. Galan-Wang and H. Medrano-Roldan
5. Diclofenac Diethylamine Transdermal Delivery System for Topical Uses, Kaisri Umprayn1 Ekapol Limpongsa2 and Withaya Janthasoot3 1 Dept. of Manufacturing Pharmacy, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand 2 Dept. of Pharrnaceufical Technology, Kbonkaen University, Khonkaen, Thailand 3 Dept. of Pharmacology, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand

Liquid Crystals Systems

1. Liquid Crystals in Agricultural Formulations, P. Aikens
2. Liquid Crystals Important Factors, Stig Friberg
3. Self-Assembly at the Oil-Water Interface, R. Y. Lochhead, Christopher J. Rulison and Monica Tisack-Kathman
4. Kinetics of Formulation, Reorientation Under Flow, Gordon J.T. Tiddy

Polymer-Stabilized Liposomes

1. Francoise M. Winnik, Characterization and Accelerated Testing
2. Bleach Stability in Cleaning Formulations, S. Kokke-Hall, L.B. Quencer, B.S. Haines, P. Inbasekaran
3. Interaction of Sulfonylurea with N-Alkyl Pyrrolidones, Kolazi S. Narayanan, Milla Krasnopolsky, James Curry, Domingo Jon, Robert M. Ianniello, Mathew J. Benning, Ronald Goehner, and Donald Prettypaul
4. Characterization of UV-Curable Formulations, Chris W. Miller, Charles E. Hoyle, Shan C. Clark, K. Viswanathan
5. Methodologies for Predicting the Service life for Coatings, Jonathan W. Martin
6. Pitfalls of Parabens in Topical Emulsion, Tacey X. Viegas, Lise L. Van Winkle, Carla J. Knight, Linda F. Noa, Karen G. Howell, Kathleen C. Kilpatrick, Deborah J. Kellogg, Richard R. Goodin and Renata B. Hawthorne

1997 Forum Papers

Formulation Trends and Challenges

1. Pharmaceutical Perspective, M. K. Speedie
2. Coatings and Adhesives, R. R. Matheson, Jr.
3. Personal Care, K. Klein
4. Pesticide Formulations, K. Tsuji,

Experimental Design

1. Mixture Experiments Accelerate Development of Optimum Formulations, Arnold Rosenthal

Form and Function

1. Water Soluble Polymers, Paul Sheskey and Tim Cabelka
2. Surfactant/Dispersants, Peter Hibbert
3. Surfactant/Dispersants – Cooperative Effects, Christian and Scamehorn

Emulsions and Microemulsions

1. Double Emulsions and Emulsifiers in Food, N. Garti
2. Technology for Formulating Agrochemicals, Kolazi Narayana

Dispersions and Suspensions

1. Advances in Coatings Technology, Edward Orr
2. Bioefficacy and Long-term Storage Stability, Roger Warrington
3. Crosslinking of Water-Borne Coatings, Richard Coogan

Rheology

1. Food Polymer Structures During Gelation and Melting, de Silva and Rao
2. Modification and Utility, Joel Zatz
3. Colloidal Stability in Paints and Coatings, R. M. Davis and F. W. Gibson
4. Rheology 101: A Means to the End, Philip Miner

Shelf Life and Stability

1. Crop Protection Products, E. Neuenschwande
2. Personal Care Stability, David Steinberg
3. Mixture Experiments Accelerate Development of Optimum Formulations, Arnold Rosenthal

Form and Function

1. Water Soluble Polymers, Paul Sheskey and Tim Cabelka
2. Surfactant/Dispersants, Peter Hibbert

Surfactant/Dispersants – Cooperative Effects

Christian and Scamehorn

Emulsions and Microemulsions

Double Emulsions and Emulsifiers in Food

N. Garti

Technology for Formulating Agrochemicals

Kolazi Narayana

Dispersions and Suspensions

Advances in Coatings Technology

Edward Orr

Bioefficacy and Long-term Storage Stability

Roger Warrington

Crosslinking of Water-Borne Coatings

Richard Coogan

Rheology

Food Polymer Structures During Gelation and Melting

de Silva and Rao

Modification and Utility

Joel Zatz

Colloidal Stability in Paints and Coatings

R. M. Davis and F. W. Gibson

Rheology 101: A Means to the End

Philip Miner

Shelf Life and Stability

Crop Protection Products

E. Neuenschwande

Personal Care Stability

David Steinberg
1994 Forum Papers

The Regulation of Inert Ingredients in the U.S.

Tina Levine

European Directives on Inert Ingredients and Adjuvants

Edwin Johnson

Encouraging Improved Pesticide Formulations: Data protection for Inert Ingredients

Alvin Lorman

Development Trends in Pesticide Formulation and Packaging

Bruno Frei and Peter Schmid

Emerging Technology: The Bases for New Generations

George Beestman

Water Dispersible Granules

Jeremy Drummond

Microencapsulation Technology and Future Trends

Alan J. Stern and David Becher

Macro- and Microemulsion Technology and Trends

Kolazi Nayayanan

Suspoemulsion Technology and Trends

Joseph Winkler

Current Packaging Trends and Related Technologies

Steven Gleich

The Market for Agricultural Pesticide Inert Ingredients and Adjuvants

Edward Hochberg

The Reduction of Pesticide Drift

Franklin Hall and Robert Fox

Enhancing Uptake and Translocation of Systemic Active Ingredients

Roger Field and Farhad Dastgheib

Herbicide Leaching and Its Prevention

Megh Singh and Siyuan Tan

Adjuvants – Current Technology and Trends

Chester Foy

There has been a unanimously positive response from formulation scientists from around the world in support of an organization dedicated to formulation scientists. Formulations Forum ‘97 was an outgrowth of the interest generated by the successful Formulations Forum ‘94, which was specifically devoted to reviewing developments and issues in agricultural chemicals formulations.

Formulators provide the end-use properties that any chemical or chemical system requires if it is to be of commercial value. With rare exceptions, e.g., as intermediates for the synthesis of other chemicals, molecules have no utility until they are formulated into products that have desirable properties. Once formulated, however, the end-products become extremely valuable: they become our foods, medicines, coatings, cosmetics, packaging materials, inks, crop protection agents, and many other functional items that are essential to modem life. Enormous challenges such as changing technology and an emerging global regulatory environment are facing chemists, manufacturers, marketers, and users of formulated products. Modem society demands products that: (1) are useful and easy to use, (2) are safe to humans and the envirom-nent, and (3) give the desired results at a cost commensurate with their benefits. To meet these ever escalating demands for new and useful product, it is important that formulators, the ones responsible for meeting these challenges, share their experience and knowledge with their colleagues, regardless of the industry. This symposium provided a unique opportunity for scientists in one industry to learn from the experience of their peers in other industries. Internationally recognized experts representing all facets of formulation science from industry and educational institutions addressed basic technology and development and trends in formulation chemistry. Attention was focused on basic scientific principles relating to formulations chemistry as well as to industry-driven practical use applications of formulations.

1. Discounts on airfare, hotel and registrations at Forums.
2. Members can view and download full PDF files of papers presented at any of the Forums.
3. Discounts on AFC publications
4. Priority and discounts on AFC short courses on formulation technology
5. Participate in AFC’s Discussion Groups where scientists can share problems and suggest solutions

* Agriculture
* Coatings
* Education
* Food
* General
* H I & I (Household, Industrial & Institutional)
* Personal Care
* Pharmaceutical

Join or Renew Now
(Non-members can view abstracts of Forum papers and order reprints.)

AFC BOARD MEMBERS NEEDED

In order for the AFC to continue as an organization, candidates for President, Vice-President, and Vice-President Elect are needed.

Current categories are:

1. Agricultural
2. Coatings
3. Education
4. Food (Nutraceutical)
5. General
6. HI&I
7. (Household, Industrial & Institutional)
8. Personal Care
9. Pharmaceutical

Providing multi-industry cross-fertilization by disseminating basic technical information on formulation technology pertaining to adhesives, drugs, cosmetics, pigments, foods, pesticides and other applications, through meetings, seminars, publications, and other means of communication.