Having spent two years working in a university chemistry research lab, I was excited with the opportunity to learn what goes on behind the scenes of an R&D operation as the Chemical Safety Intern at Indium Corporation. This summer, I had the chance to educate myself on the substances in our products, the regulations we need to comply with, and the international standards we aim to reach. The obvious difference is that research is specifically hands-on, whereas chemical safety oversees the entire research process, but there are 3 key differences I did not quite notice before!
1. Overseas Transport
The R&D team here is focused on making commercialized products for our customers, all of which needs to meet the global standard. Which chemicals can be sent to Europe? Which chemicals are restricted? Which chemicals need to be disclosed to the customer? Finding the answers to all these questions depends on the chemical safety team. One of my intern projects this summer was to identify substances that the European Union (EU) identified as "Substances of Very High Concern" (SVHC) or have a possibility to become SVHC. If a substance is identified as a SVHC, there are rules and regulations that need to be followed to including these substances in products. When the R&D team is working on new projects or needs to purchase new chemicals, the chemical safety team is notified to guarantee the chemicals involved are allowed internationally. This is to ensure certain workers have the proper PPE to handle these chemicals while informing customers of the risk and minimizing their exposure to these risks.
2. Chemical Documentation
Knowing what substances R&D is purchasing, the chemical safety team has a better knowledge and understanding of all chemicals used within the company. However, R&D is only knowledgeable of the chemicals they work directly with. The chemical safety team is responsible for having the safety data sheets (SDS) for all chemicals on hand, whether they are actively being used or not, along with the SDS of every product R&D makes. These need to be readily available to customers whenever questions arise. Not only does the chemical safety team know what chemicals are currently being used by R&D, we also are responsible for risk management of substances that are on the community rolling action plan (CoRAP) list. The CoRAP list is comprised of substances a country has flagged as posing some sort of health or exposure risk and are looking to evaluate in coming years. The chemical safety team requires a broad background on chemicals and a focus on future plans to mitigate any possible risks with our products being purchased by customers.
3.
Both R&D and chemical safety are customer driven, but for opposite reasons. R&D follows given specifications on what properties a solder paste should have or what shape a preform should be in to meet customer expectations and make products accordingly. Chemical safety, on the other hand, cares less about whether the specifications are reached; we are concerned more about complying with chemical standards. This creates a need for communication between R&D and chemical safety to verify not only customer satisfaction but also product safety. The biggest restriction I have learned through my research is that the chemical cannot be present in a final product at concentrations greater than a certain percentage, with that percentage probably being less than 1%. When this happens, chemical safety needs to tell R&D that they need to modify their formula. This back and forth is most likely to occur when chemicals we could once use are newly classified as SVHC, which results in the need to develop new products.
Having spent years doing university research, I found it intriguing to compare R&D at college versus R&D here at Indium Corporation with the oversight of chemical safety. With my primary project of identifying SVHC, I realized many chemicals I used daily in university lab could become a SVHC or pose significant risks that I was not aware of. Something I can relate with the R&D team here is that I do not have complete knowledge of all the chemicals in my lab. I have my proposed synthesis route selected and know exactly where those chemicals are in my lab and where to find the SDS for them, but I do not even touch 80% of the chemicals available to me. Finding the SDS of some chemicals we have here at Indium Corporation has encouraged me to do more research on the chemicals at my university lab this fall. This internship has made me want to confirm the chemicals are stored properly, to check their expiration dates, and to read the SDS even for the chemicals I do not use to make sure the lab is safe.
Gaining knowledge on these chemicals can also help with my research as they might provide a more efficient synthesis route. Another thing I appreciate about my exposure to customer-driven R&D is feedback from chemical safety and customers. The only feedback in a university lab is from my lab supervisor or personal realization that something does not work through low yield or impurities.
By working in chemical safety this summer, I feel so much more motivated to go back to university and truly analyze my research. My new goals are to be well versed in the chemicals I use directly in my portion of research as well as what my peers are using in theirs.