Our speciality chemicals services help you to understand your products’ technical and performance attributes and meet regulatory compliance.

Specialty chemicals, also known as performance chemicals, are used as ingredients in finished products and to improve manufacturing processes.

Specialty chemical innovation depends on uniting technical and performance attributes; therefore understanding the chemical composition and properties and how they add value to their proposed application are important. Any potential impact on health and the environment also needs to be assessed and addressed.

Serving a diverse range of sectors from speciality polymer and nanomaterials to food additives, flavours and fragrances, our scientists are able to test the chemical composition or physical properties of your specialty chemicals, evaluating how they meet and exceed quality, safety, sustainability and performance standards, as part of our Total Quality Assurance expertise.

Through our network of analytical laboratories we can support your research or manufacturing with quality control testing, trace analysis, contamination and formulation analysis, helping your specialty chemicals to reach optimal performance characteristics, enabling you to power ahead with pace and precision. Our laboratories work to industry recognised standards such as ISO 17025 or Good Laboratory Practice (GLP) so that registration submission data is suitable for authorities worldwide.

With chemical control legislation coming into effect every year, our regulatory consultants can help to ensure your business successfully complies with national and international regulatory requirements, while our toxicological risk assessment will help determine whether or not your product poses a potential risk.

To help navigate the complex supply chains and distribution routes, our cargo inspection and supply chain auditing services can safeguard your products and minimise risk. Our cargo inspectors provide global inspection services covering quantity, sampling and quality testing for valuable speciality chemicals cargos. We provide auditing services to help you to assure regulatory compliance and product quality, enforce supply chain regulations, maintain workplace safety, drive social accountability and ensure overall business security.

By partnering with Keyworld you can rely on our high-quality, speciality chemical services to support your business and deliver materials and products of excellence to your clients and end users, as part of our total quality assurance.

Keyworld’s polymers and plastics services can help you to improve and qualify materials and products and meet worldwide regulatory requirements.

Across the polymers and plastics supply chain, a range of challenges are encountered in safety, quality, process, regulatory compliance, performance and lifecycle. Whether you are a base chemical provider, additive supplier, converter, compounder or end user, overcoming these challenges can give your business a significant commercial advantage.

With decades of experience in the polymers and plastics industries, our scientists have the knowledge to help you improve and qualify materials and products. Our Total Quality Assurance expertise which is delivered with precision, pace and passion, enabling you to power ahead safely.

Physical and Mechanical Testing of Plastics

Polymer and plastic testing services include physical, thermal, rheological, optical, aging, barrier, surface, flammability and mechanical properties which identify the characteristics of your raw materials or polymer and whether they meet specification. Our insight can help you to understand how suitable the materials are for application and how they age.

Polymers and Plastics Chemical Testing

Our experts can advise on formulation development, competitor material deformulation, comparative analysis of blends, regulatory submission data requirements and how polymer additives relate to performance.

Polymer Regulatory and Consulting Services

We can also help you navigate the complex world of regulation. Our regulatory consultants are experts in industry regulations and guidelines such as food contact materials regulations, ASTM, restricted substances, automotive industry guidelines, emission standards, import regulations and toy manufacture legislation. Keyworld holds many industry and customer specific quality certifications including ISO certificates, Nadcap, and Good Laboratory Practice (GLP).

Polymer Product Processing Development Support

Our laboratory scale polymer processing facility can support you in product and process development. From raw material selection, material development, compounding and conversion production stages to prototyping and final product, our experts can assist.

Polymer Applications

Polymers and plastics are some of the most versatile materials in existence and are used in all aspects of our daily lives. They have revolutionized the manufacture of consumer products and industrial applications such as aerospace, automotive, electronics and packaging. Our scientists have the specialist industry knowledge that can bring you the insight you need to progress product development, ensure compliance and achieve a successful market launch for the application on which you are working.

Bringing quality to life, we are able to evaluate how your products and services meet and exceed quality, safety, sustainability and performance standards. We enable you to identify and mitigate the intrinsic risks in your polymer and plastics operations, supply chains and business processes.

We deliver Total Quality Assurance to the petrochemical industry through our expert testing, inspection and consulting services.

The petrochemical industry faces many challenges from personnel and site safety, product quality and operational performance to asset integrity management, risk identification and regulatory compliance. Owners and operators in the petrochemical sector need the support of a global technical services partner who can provide 24/7 services that maintain safety, minimize risk and optimize operations and processes.

Petrochemical Testing

Keyworld is an industry leader in providing global petrochemical testing, sampling and facility inspection services. Petrochemical testing is conducted by Keyworld laboratories across the world to ASTM, ISO, IP, and other accepted chemical industry standards and protocols. Materials tested include the entire complex range of hydrocarbon based chemicals derived from petroleum, natural gas, coal, and biomass. This also applies to primary petrochemicals including olefins, aromatics, and synthesis gas.

Across the whole supply chain

We support petrochemical production, process engineering, cargo logistics operations, facility and equipment integrity management as well as product and personnel certification on a global basis. With petrochemicals being produced on a very large scale, manufacturing units produce multiple products and these units are often clustered in various locations around the world. Effective logistical plans and on-time deliveries are therefore critical to ensuring that projects and processes remain on schedule. Our local teams proactively work with you to expedite timelines, and if there is an issue our prompt responses help you get back on schedule. Unexpected plant downtime can escalate costs and cause lengthy delays. To avoid this we provide services such as preventive and corrective integrity inspections, in-service inspection data maintenance and analysis, corrosion mitigation, and much more – all of which help to keep your facilities and production capabilities running efficiently. Whether you are constructing a new plant or enhancing and expanding an existing one, our technical experts can provide support from equipment design review, 3D laser scanning and dimensional control, condition assessments and engineering consulting to inspection, corrosion control, non-destructive testing and more.

We support our clients’ nanotechnology innovation with nanomaterial chemical testing, risk assessment and safety consulting.

Nanomaterials and novel engineered nanotechnology offer great potential to improving the quality of life when used in applications across a variety of industries and consumer products.

To realise the full potential of your nanomaterial products, it is vital to understand the unique properties of these materials and to address potential safety or risk concerns for human health and the environment.

Our extensive nanomaterials and nanotechnology capabilities include pre-clinical study design, regulatory affairs and liaison, toxicology, epidemiology and risk assessment. We can help you to address key issues such as whether the properties that render nanomaterials unique (e.g., size, relative surface area, chemistry and functionality) are associated with unanticipated biological consequences and toxicity. With our expertise, we help you to understand your product and assess any potential health or environmental effects.

At Keyworld, our scientists also provide the chemical and physical testing you need to meet evolving national or international regulatory requirements. Our team characterise your products through nano-scale analysis covering the critical attributes of particle size, morphology, dispersion, uniformity, and optical and physical properties.

With Keyworld as your partner we can provide the chemical, physical, toxicology, risk assessment data and regulatory support you need to progress your innovation, manufacturing or regulatory submission. Our expertise spans sectors as diverse as cosmetics, polymer composites, pharmaceuticals, textiles, electronics and specialty chemicals such as insecticides or paints.

• Textiles – In apparel and textile products nanomaterials are used to enhance performance or improve functional properties, such as antimicrobial, flammability resistance, fragrance release, moisture management, shrink resistance, stain resistance, static protection, UV protection, water repellence and wrinkle resistance.
• Pharmaceuticals – Pharmaceutical formulations utilise nanoencapsulation as a way of achieving potential improved bioavailability for pharmaceutical active ingredients (API).
• Food and Nutrition – Nanotechnology impacts the food sector in many ways, including nutrient and bioactive absorption and delivery systems, ingredient functionality, improved colours and flavours, detection and control of microbial, allergen and other contaminants, and food packaging properties and performance.
• Cosmetics – Cosmetics have been developed to achieve optical effects by incorporating nanosized polymer entities or silica particles to give a ‘flawless’ or ‘brightened’ appearance. Nanoliposomes technology can help achieve a controlled release of a fragrance or a moisturiser and, in some cases, help improve product stability. Regulatory requirements drive the need to characterise nanosized ingredients in these products.
• Speciality chemicals – Specialty chemicals such as insecticides are increasingly incorporating nanosized systems to add a functional benefit to products. Formulations with nanoencapsulated active ingredients have the potential for a more targeted or controlled release over time.
• Rubbers, plastics and composites materials – The physical and mechanical performance of these materials are being enhanced through addition of nanotechnology such as carbon nanotubes, which are very thin tubes of elemental carbon (approximately 1/100000th the thickness of a single human hair).
• Electronics – Improving the electronic and optical properties of materials and components used in electronics is being explored through the use of nanomaterials such as graphene. Applications include batteries, electrodes and transparent conductive films.

With a proven track record of working with some of the world’s leading organisations, you can trust us to help you assess exposure and minimise the risks associated with your nanomaterials.

Global lubricant and grease Total Quality Assurance through testing, inspection, regulatory consulting and certification services.

Lubricants and greases keep the global industrial economy moving. Ensuring quality and durability requirements are achieved helps maintain dependable operations for machinery and other equipment.

From the manufacturing plant to the end-user, Keyworld provides a full range of testing, certification, regulatory consulting and inspection services supporting producers and users of industrial and automotive lubricants, greases and other fluids.

For clients who operate or maintain machinery and systems, we provide a complete range of oil condition monitoring (OCM) services. We monitor the condition of fluids used in critical equipment to identify potential failures. Keyworld technical experts interpret the data to deliver high value information that enables our clients to make timely decisions on the maintenance of their assets.

Lubricant quality control testing includes lubricant analysis programmes for large, high-value engines and drive-trains, turbines, ships, trains, generators, offshore platforms and other valuable machinery.

In the automotive sector, fuel, lubricant and engine manufacturers benefit from Keyworld’s Automotive Research Laboratory world-class testing services . We are a leader in lubricant testing for standardised gasoline and diesel engines, engine and drive-train endurance, durability testing and more.

To facilitate global trade, Keyworld’s experts in regulatory consulting also provide comprehensive support for developing and implementing worldwide regulatory compliance strategies for new and existing products. We offer services related to new product introductions, data development, as well as validation of compliance of existing products with local and global regulations.

Learn more about Keyworld lubricant and grease related services:

• Lubricants testing and inspection for producers and industrial consumers
• OCM (oil condition monitoring) testing and analysis for lubricants, fluids, and oils
• Lubricant Qualification Testing services for gasoline and diesel engines
• Automotive Lubricants & Fuel Systems Testing Services
• Auditing and Systems Certification

*Keyworld does not provide consulting services for management systems certification. Any consulting activities provided by Intertek are separated and independent from certification activities

Keyworld tests and analyses detergents, colourants, dyes and pigment ingredients and their applications such as liquid inks, textiles, packaging, food and pharmaceuticals.

Detergents, dyes and colourants are prevalent in the manufacture of many consumer and industrial products, including apparel and textiles, toys, cosmetics, footwear, medical devices, medicines, industrial and domestic detergents, and packaging. They can impart specific finishes, prevent mould growth, reduce product degradation or bring vibrant color to a product to name just a few of their functions.

As a manufacturer of these products, your challenge is to ensure that products are of the highest quality and display optimal performance. Product safety is paramount and the presence of potentially harmful chemicals must be assessed at each stage of the supply chain. The risk to health and the environment should be minimized to meet chemical restrictions around the world paying special attention to the selection of dyes and chemical ingredients in products. This includes keeping products free of hazardous or restricted substances such as heavy metals formaldehyde, phthalates or azo colourants and their breakdown products.

With Keyworld as your Total Quality Assurance partner, we can help you to implement chemical management solutions covering your entire supply chain including toxicology risk assessment of ingredients, guidance on labeling, screening for restricted substances, and regulatory consulting to ensure that your organisation meets compliance goals. Our expertise enable you to identify and mitigate the intrinsic risk in your operations, supply chains and business processes.

Our experienced scientists can support your product development through formulation analysis and deformulation studies. Through a wide range of laboratory services we can screen for potential allergens or active substances such as surfactants and help you to address chemical contamination or microbiological safety. Interaction studies between products and substrates such as skin, fabrics, hair, packaging and hard surfaces help to progress performance studies. Our testing services help to evaluate how your products and services meet and exceed quality, safety, sustainability and performance standards.

Textiles, ApparelandFootwear

Dyes and additives are used during manufacturing of textiles, apparel and footwear, as well as to form components of products to impart specific finishes, prevent mold growth and product degradation, or enhance color. Certain dyes and substances have been found to pose hazards to human health and environmental safety. As a result, rules and regulations have been enacted around the world to promote environmental safety, as well as protect human health. Keyworld can partner with you to implement chemical management solution in your supply chain network, including testing for restricted substances such as azo colorants that break down to restricted amines, disperse dyes, flame retardants, formaldehyde, fungicides such as dimethyl fumarate (DMF), pesticides, phthalates and heavy metals.

Bringing quality to life, our Total Quality Assurance expertise is delivered consistently with precision, pace and passion, enabling you to power ahead safely.

Basic and industrial chemical testing and regulatory services to help meet quality and regulatory standards and optimal efficiency across the supply chain.

Basic and industrial chemicals are produced in huge quantities and are critical ingredients for products used by both industry and the general consumer. They include chemical raw materials derived from oil (petrochemicals), basic inorganics and intermediates for chemical processes.

Understanding the manufacturing processes and the chemical composition of these basic chemicals is important in order to meet cost reduction targets and to comply with increasingly stringent environmental and safety regulations.

Our scientists test and analyse basic and industrial chemicals which are used in a range of industries such as specialty chemicals, polymers, agrochemicals, pharmaceuticals, detergents, solvents, textiles and many others. Tests include chemical composition and physical properties, conducted to international standards including ASTM and ISO, and in-house methods assist your quality control testing, trace analysis and contamination issues.

We also provide comprehensive consulting support for developing and implementing worldwide regulatory compliance strategies for new and existing products. Our services relate to new product introductions, data development, as well as validation of compliance of existing products with local and global regulations, delivered with Total Quality Assurance.

Keyworld’s support for the manufacturing process includes safety services for chemical powders and scientific consultancy for implementation and monitoring of on-line and at-line measurements. We also know that assuring the longevity and safety of your materials and plant infrastructure are key priorities. At Keyworld, our corrosion and asset integrity experts can provide testing and consultancy in the areas of chemical treatments, corrosion control and production chemistry to promote safety and lower the risk of materials failure.

To help navigate the complex supply chains and distribution routes, our cargo inspection and supply chain auditing services can safeguard your products and minimise risk.

Wherever you are positioned in the supply chain, our network of laboratories, capabilities and Total Quality Assurance expertise is delivered consistently with precision, pace and passion to support your research or manufacturing, ensuring your products and processes reach optimal quality and efficiency.

Keyworld’s agrochemical and pesticide regulatory consultancy, testing and cargo inspection services can support your business, from innovation to the marketplace.

Agrochemicals and pesticides can improve and protect agricultural production and they play a vital role in assisting the world’s food production.

However, there are many regulatory hurdles and strategic obstacles that can cause costly time-to-market delays in the industry. Our experts can help you overcome these challenges through implementation of our Total Quality Assurance expertise.

Keyworld goes beyond testing, inspecting and certifying products; we are a Total Quality Assurance provider. Through our global network of state-of-the-art facilities and industry-leading technical expertise we provide innovative and bespoke Assurance, Testing, Inspection and Certification services to customers.

Our international network of regulatory experts, toxicology consultants, scientists and inspectors will ensure that you receive maximum levels of guidance, testing and inspection you need.

Pesticides Scientific and Regulatory Support

Our agrochemical and pesticide regulatory consultancy services include safety assessments, scientific reviews and regulatory support. We can develop regulatory strategy and submissions, substantiate waiver requests and read-across arguments, develop exposure limits and residue tolerances, provide product safety and efficacy evaluations and conduct human health and environmental risk assessments. Our team takes a proactive approach to monitoring and progressing your regulatory initiatives.

Agrichemical Regulatory Consultancy and Analysis

Keyworld’s laboratories offer a comprehensive range of analytical services for the developers and manufacturers of agrichemicals. With Good Laboratory Practice (GLP) compliant analytical facilities staffed by scientists, we provide analytical characterisation, GLP 5-batch characterisation, impurity screening and physico-chemical property determination to meet all your testing needs.

Residue Testing for Pesticides, Fungicides and Herbicides

From standard food and animal feed safety requirements through to the strict regulations for organic food, we have the testing knowledge and expertise to ensure you provide safe and quality food to consumers, while monitoring your impact on the environment.

Chemical Cargo Inspection

To help you navigate complex distribution networks, our cargo inspection services can safeguard your products and minimise risk by ensuring the quality, purity and quantity of your valuable agrochemical and pesticide cargo.

By choosing Keyworld as your partner for your agrochemical and pesticide services, you can rely on our global network of experts and facilities to provide you with the resources you need to succeed in the marketplace.