Buyer's guide
How to vet a PU colorant, release agent or in-mould coating supplier
Written from three decades of supplying PU processors. Use these ten questions with any supplier, including us. After each, we show what a good answer looks like and how Chemie answers.
01Is the supplier the manufacturer, or a trader reselling someone else’s product?
- Why it matters
- Only a manufacturer controls grind, raw-material changes and batch records, and can fix a problem at source.
- What a good answer looks like
- Named plant address, equipment list, willingness to host a visit or video audit.
- Chemie's answer
- Manufacturer. Two plants in Bhiwadi, Rajasthan, with in-house dispersion and a colour laboratory.
02Can they match your shade and then repeat it three months later?
- Why it matters
- Matching once is easy. Repeating is what protects your line from rejections.
- What a good answer looks like
- A retained master standard, a stated tolerance (ΔE), and per-batch checks of tinting strength and viscosity.
- Chemie's answer
- Standard retained for repeat orders. Grind, tinting strength and viscosity controlled per batch. Tolerance agreed at brief stage.
03How fine and how stable is the dispersion?
- Why it matters
- Coarse or settled pigment gives specks, streaks, filter blockage and shade drift.
- What a good answer looks like
- A fineness-of-grind figure, viscosity range and shelf life stated, with batch values on the CoA.
- Chemie's answer
- Grinding fineness: [FILL: my value, e.g. up to X microns]. Viscosity customized as per your machine pumps. 12-month shelf life sealed.
04How much moisture does the colorant carry?
- Why it matters
- Water in a colorant is blowing agent in your foam and a pinhole source in your skin.
- What a good answer looks like
- A stated moisture limit and a willingness to supply a Karl Fischer result.
- Chemie's answer
- Typically below 0.2 % in PU colorants.
05Will it work in your polyol system and on your machine?
- Why it matters
- Carrier compatibility and viscosity decide whether foam cells, catalysis and dosing behave.
- What a good answer looks like
- A trial on your system before any volume commitment, and dosing colours engineered to your machine.
- Chemie's answer
- Compatible with polyether and polyester polyol systems. Trials on your system are part of development. Dosing colours and custom pack sizes available.
06What compliance paperwork can they produce?
- Why it matters
- Your own customers will ask you for REACH, RoHS and fire-test evidence.
- What a good answer looks like
- Written declarations, SDS and TDS issued per grade, and test evidence for any fire claim.
- Chemie's answer
- REACH and RoHS compliant colorants, UL94 fire-retardant pastes available, TDS, SDS and CoA supplied.
07Do they understand failures, or only sell products?
- Why it matters
- The first problem will arrive within weeks. You need a supplier who can diagnose the process, not just ship a replacement drum.
- What a good answer looks like
- Published, specific troubleshooting knowledge with causes, tests and fixes, and honest limits on what a product can fix.
- Chemie's answer
- Sixteen published troubleshooting guides with diagnostic steps. Each states plainly where the cause lies in your process rather than in the product.
08Are release agent, coating and colour designed to work together?
- Why it matters
- Peeling coatings and unpaintable parts are usually interface problems between products from different sources.
- What a good answer looks like
- Coating-compatible and paintable release grades, and a single party accountable for the set.
- Chemie's answer
- In-mould-coating-compatible and paintable release agents, in-mould coatings, lacquers and PU thinners all produced by Chemie.
09Is there a real track record in demanding industries?
- Why it matters
- Automotive safety and trim, furniture and footwear impose tolerance and audit requirements.
- What a good answer looks like
- Named customers, years in operation, reference contacts.
- Chemie's answer
- Since 1996. 400+ customers in 20+ countries, including Autoliv, TRW, Toyoda Gosei, Sleepwell, Paragon, VKC, Aadi Polymers, Flexipol, Jindal Petro Foams, Inblu, Bairathi, Relaxo.
10What will the quotation state, and what will the supplier not tell you?
- Why it matters
- Ambiguity in packaging, validity, delivery and test conditions is where disputes begin.
- What a good answer looks like
- A quotation that names grade, pack size, price basis, lead time and validity, plus a clear statement of what the supplier is not suited to.
- Chemie's answer
- See the “Where Chemie is not the right fit” list on the supplier profile. Packaging and shelf life are stated per product.
Want the evidence behind these answers? Read the supplier profile and verification pack, which pairs every claim with the way to check it.
Tell us the shade. We will match it.
Send a swatch, a reference code or your target specification. Our technical team will respond with a sample plan and a quotation.