The most comprehensive and first truly multi-industry international symposium on formulation chemistry, Formulations Forum ‘97, was held in Las Vegas, NV on September 3-7, 1997. The symposium was sponsored by the Association of Formulation Chemists.
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.