At the Root of the Problem

In the construction, renovation, and maintenance industries, it is common to use products derived from chemical formulation. These products include, in particular:

• Paints, varnishes, and floor finishes;
• Glues and adhesives;
• Surface coatings for glass and metal;
• Sealants and insulating foams;
• Lubricants and oils;
• Strippers, soaps, detergents, and cleaning products.

Do you ever receive dispute cases in which your clients are dealing with this type of product? How can you tell if this is what caused the damage and if you have a case? Could the product be of poor quality, or could it have been misused by the user? You can direct all these questions to our materials and chemistry experts, who know how to assist you with this type of damage and can determine its cause.

Expert Analysis Down to the Finest Details

At Origin, our team uses equipment to characterize surfaces, materials, and formulated products. Our experts employ binocular microscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) to determine the causes of failure.

Physicochemical analyses tailored to the failure can also be performed, including the identification of contaminants via gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and energy-dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), which enables elemental analysis of the samples.

We can also analyze the product documentation: safety data sheet (SDS), technical data sheet, user manual, label, specifications, etc.

Furthermore, by examining the various raw materials used in the product’s formulation, we can assess the risk of failure within the scope of the assignment entrusted to us. It is important to note that certain materials are incompatible with certain formulated products, which can often be the cause of the failure reported in a claims file.

Do you have any questions? We’re here to help!

For more information or to assign us a new case, contact us at info@origin.expert.

We also invite you to contact our expert in charge of this type of project, Bruno Gélinas, at bgelinas@origin.expert if you have any questions regarding a specific case . He will be happy to advise you and, if necessary, provide you with a cost estimate for your project.