The Hidden Chemistry Behind Halloween
When we think of the modern world and all its conveniences, we rarely think about where things come from. As instant gratification becomes more and more commonplace, things have a way of just appearing where we need them, when we need them.
But what is actually powering this? Many industrial solutions it turns out. At the center of those industrial solutions lies chemistry.
At IBC alone, our chemistry touches industries across the spectrum and around the World. IBC chemistry can be found in makeup and lotions, or cleaning spray. Our chemistry powering mines that harvest critical components to make cell phones, and going miles below the ground to help oil flow more freely.
Chemistry is everywhere. This Halloween, we wanted to highlight a few places you’ll find it.
Powering 1.5 Billion Pounds of Pumpkins Each Year
Before a pumpkin ever makes it to a front porch, there’s a lot happening beneath the surface.
Modern agriculture depends on chemistry at nearly every stage, from the way water and nutrients interact with soil to the way crop inputs spread, adhere and perform in the field.
Specialty chemistry can help growers get more from those inputs while supporting more efficient use of resources.
So when you see pumpkins everywhere this Halloween, remember: there’s more than just a little chemistry behind the harvest.
Your Halloween Look Starts Long Before the Makeup Goes On
That Halloween makeup? Chemistry.
So are the cleansers, creams and personal care products used to take it off at the end of the night.
Behind a finished formulation is a careful balance of ingredients that may not naturally want to work together. Surfactants and other specialty chemistries help formulators manage those interactions and create products that perform the way consumers expect.
At Integrity BioChem, our work in personal care includes renewable, high-performance surfactant technology designed to give formulators more options for building the next generation of products.
Turning Ordinary Surfaces Spooky Starts With Chemistry
Halloween transforms the ordinary. Pumpkins change color. Front doors get a little darker. Decorations appear on porches, windows and walls.
Behind many of those colors and finishes is another kind of chemistry at work.
Paints and coatings rely on carefully formulated chemistry to help pigments disperse, ingredients work together and finished surfaces deliver the appearance and performance we expect.
Whether the goal is a spooky transformation or a finish built to last, chemistry plays an important role in what we see on the surface.
This Halloween, look a little closer. Chemistry is everywhere.
Pumpkin Carving Is Messy. Cleanup Starts With Chemistry.
Halloween has a way of leaving its mark: sticky candy, spilled drinks, face paint, muddy footprints and plenty of messes to clean up.
That’s where chemistry gets to work. Surfactants help cleaning products wet surfaces, lift oils and soils, and carry away the grime left behind, playing an important role in everything from household cleaners to industrial and institutional cleaning products.
So when the costumes come off and the cleanup begins, remember: chemistry is everywhere, even in the mess Halloween leaves behind.
That Phone in Your Hand? It Started With Chemistry.
The device you’re reading this on started somewhere very different.
Phones, computers, vehicles, infrastructure and countless other technologies depend on minerals extracted and processed from the earth. Getting those valuable minerals out of complex ores requires more than machinery. It requires chemistry.
In mineral processing, specialty chemistries help separate valuable minerals from unwanted material, improve recovery and make processing more efficient.
It’s one of the many ways chemistry works far upstream of the products we eventually see and use.
From the mine to the technology in your pocket, chemistry is everywhere.
Behind Every Glowing Porch Light is Energy Supported by Chemistry
On Halloween night, a porch light means one thing: come on up!
But there’s a lot happening behind that little switch.
The energy we rely on every day begins far from the places where we ultimately use it. Deep below the surface, specialty chemistry helps address the challenges that come with producing energy efficiently and reliably.
From improving flow to managing deposits, scale and other production challenges, chemistry works behind the scenes, often in places most of us will never see.
So when the porch lights come on this Halloween, there’s more at work than you might think.
Have a safe and Happy Halloween!
As you enjoy the Halloween season, take a second to think of the industries powering the world around us. Chemistry has a hand in all of it. As one of the US’ largest bio-based chemical manufacturers, we are proud to contribute to power Halloween, sustainably.
