# Learning detailing chemistry through study/qualifications?



## IndyH1

Has anyone with an interest in detailing undertaken any formal chemistry qualifications (later on) to enhance their understanding of what goes on in product formulation? Other than an open uni part time chem degree or hnd, is there anything else out there?


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## NorthantsPete

not seen anything specifically for detailling but you will be getting into chemistry then formulations for industrial applications, aka cosmetics, oil and lubrication, then if you wanted, detailing products but likely work would be from large corps like carchem etc.

if you look at the ingredients list for say, meguirs, they have a breakdown that makes sense to a lot of people - clays for filling, gloss agents, solvents, petroleum, waxes and so-on.

Chemistry is transferrable, so it could be for brewing beer, making hamburgers or chemicals for use on paint.


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## PIP_Chemicals

If you find a course, tell me!

The very simple stuff you would find covered in a chemistry degree but formulation chemistry is a specific subset and I&I cleaning/home care (which would be the parent sector to automotive) is a specific subset again. For instance, a seasoned cosmetic formulation would not be expected to easily transfer to properly formulate a snowfoam. So far, I believe it’s down to legwork. I’ve got 25 years hands on formulation and thousands of hours of reading and losing evenings to online reading of literature. Our lab guys get put through the wringer to get up to speed on the basic methodologies but it takes years to be able to formulate independently and be able to keep your eye on disparate things such as cost and regulatory compliance. That said, you can but a book and have a beginners understanding in a few days. There are enough products out there which are blatantly unstable to confidently say that there are more than a few people actually making products who are little better than this!


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