GFS Chemicals Inc, formerly known as G. Frederick Smith Chemical Company,
[ is a ]privately owned
A privately held company (or simply a private company) is a company whose shares and related rights or obligations are not offered for public subscription or publicly negotiated in their respective listed markets. Instead, the company's stock is ...
fine and specialty chemical company with headquarters in Powell, Ohio
Powell is a city in Delaware County, Ohio, United States, located 14 miles (21.5 km) north of the state capital of Columbus, Ohio, Columbus. Powell had an estimated population of 14,163 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. Founded i ...
and manufacturing facilities in Columbus, Ohio
Columbus (, ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of cities in Ohio, most populous city of the U.S. state of Ohio. With a 2020 United States census, 2020 census population of 905,748, it is the List of United States ...
. It was founded by G. Frederick Smith in Urbana, Illinois
Urbana ( ) is a city in Champaign County, Illinois, United States, and its county seat. As of the 2020 census, Urbana had a population of 38,336. It is a principal city of the Champaign–Urbana metropolitan area, which had 236,000 residents i ...
in 1924, and moved to Columbus, Ohio in 1928.[
GFS Chemicals currently serves over seventy countries and a variety of industries, including: ]Alternative energy
Renewable energy (also called green energy) is energy made from renewable resource, renewable natural resources that are replenished on a human lifetime, human timescale. The most widely used renewable energy types are solar energy, wind pow ...
, energy storage
Energy storage is the capture of energy produced at one time for use at a later time to reduce imbalances between energy demand and energy production. A device that stores energy is generally called an Accumulator (energy), accumulator or Batte ...
, pharmaceuticals
Medication (also called medicament, medicine, pharmaceutical drug, medicinal product, medicinal drug or simply drug) is a drug used to diagnose, cure, treat, or prevent disease. Drug therapy ( pharmacotherapy) is an important part of the ...
, biotechnology
Biotechnology is a multidisciplinary field that involves the integration of natural sciences and Engineering Science, engineering sciences in order to achieve the application of organisms and parts thereof for products and services. Specialists ...
, electronics
Electronics is a scientific and engineering discipline that studies and applies the principles of physics to design, create, and operate devices that manipulate electrons and other Electric charge, electrically charged particles. It is a subfield ...
, etching
Etching is traditionally the process of using strong acid or mordant to cut into the unprotected parts of a metal surface to create a design in intaglio (incised) in the metal. In modern manufacturing, other chemicals may be used on other type ...
, and environmental and research analytics.[ The company has approximately 100 employees. Its various divisions are managed by three separate units: Organic Specialty Materials, Inorganic Specialty Materials, and Analytical Reagents & Research Chemicals Catalog Division.][
]
History
1920s
The Smith Chemical Company was started in G. Frederick Smith's garage in Urbana, Illinois as a result of his use of magnesium perchlorate
Magnesium perchlorate is a powerful oxidizing agent, with the formula Mg(ClO4)2. The salt is also a superior drying agent for gas analysis.
Magnesium perchlorate decomposes at 250 °C. The heat of formation is -568.90 kJ/mol.
The enthalpy o ...
as a super drying agent.[ Smith enlisted the help of his brothers Allyne (who studied engineering at ]Ohio State
The Ohio State University (Ohio State or OSU) is a public land-grant research university in Columbus, Ohio, United States. A member of the University System of Ohio, it was founded in 1870. It is one of the largest universities by enrollme ...
) and Clarence (who worked for a local newspaper).
In 1928, G. Frederick Smith Chemical Company moved to Columbus, Ohio on McKinley Avenue, and began to sell magnesium perchlorate under the trade name "Dehydrite" for A.H. Thomas Co., later Thomas Scientific. G. Frederick Smith Chemical Company would become one of the leading perchloric acid and perchlorate salt producers in the world.[
]
1930s and 1940s
University of Illinois
The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC, U of I, Illinois, or University of Illinois) is a public university, public land-grant university, land-grant research university in the Champaign–Urbana metropolitan area, Illinois, United ...
graduate student Charles Getz, in an attempt to store milk anaerobic
Anaerobic means "living, active, occurring, or existing in the absence of free oxygen", as opposed to aerobic which means "living, active, or occurring only in the presence of oxygen." Anaerobic may also refer to:
*Adhesive#Anaerobic, Anaerobic ad ...
ally to prevent spoilage, accidentally invents the world's first aerosol dispensed product, instant whipped cream
Whipped cream, also known as Chantilly cream or (), is high-fat dairy cream that has been aerated by whisking until it becomes light, fluffy, and capable of holding its shape. This process incorporates air into the cream, creating a semi-soli ...
. He and G.F. Smith found nitrous oxide
Nitrous oxide (dinitrogen oxide or dinitrogen monoxide), commonly known as laughing gas, nitrous, or factitious air, among others, is a chemical compound, an Nitrogen oxide, oxide of nitrogen with the Chemical formula, formula . At room te ...
to be the most suitable gas and started the Aerated Products Company, later known as Instantwhip. The company was later turned over to G.F. Smith's son Clifton, although Getz would retain the patent.[
Smith started producing commercial quantities of ]1,10-phenanthroline
1,10-Phenanthroline (phen) is a heterocyclic organic compound. It is a white solid that is soluble in organic solvents. The 1,10 refers to the location of the nitrogen atoms that replace CH's in the hydrocarbon called phenanthrene.
Abbreviated " ...
and its derivatives, producing a range of indicators for use in analytical chemistry.[ He investigated the preparation of ]cerium
Cerium is a chemical element; it has Chemical symbol, symbol Ce and atomic number 58. It is a hardness, soft, ductile, and silvery-white metal that tarnishes when exposed to air. Cerium is the second element in the lanthanide series, and while it ...
compounds for use as titrant
Titration (also known as titrimetry and volumetric analysis) is a common laboratory method of quantitative chemical analysis to determine the concentration of an identified analyte (a substance to be analyzed). A reagent, termed the ''titrant'' ...
s in oxidation and reduction reactions. Aided by phenanthroline
1,10-Phenanthroline (phen) is a heterocyclic organic compound. It is a white solid that is soluble in organic solvents. The 1,10 refers to the location of the nitrogen atoms that replace CH's in the hydrocarbon called phenanthrene.
Abbreviated " ...
indicators, he produced hexanitratocerate as a primary standard. Studies of periodic acid
Periodic acid ( ) is an oxoacid of iodine. It can exist in two forms: orthoperiodic acid, with the chemical formula , and metaperiodic acid, which has the formula . Periodic acids are colourless crystals. Periodic acid features iodine in the hig ...
, iodic acid
Iodic acid is a white water-soluble solid with the chemical formula . Its robustness contrasts with the instability of chloric acid and bromic acid. Iodic acid features iodine in the oxidation state +5 and is one of the most stable oxo-acids of ...
, and their salts prompted a new line of products.
In the 1940s, Rare earth products, such as ceric ammonium nitrate
Ceric ammonium nitrate (CAN) is the inorganic compound with the formula . This orange-red, water-soluble cerium salt is a specialised oxidizing agent in organic synthesis and a standard oxidant in quantitative analysis.
Preparation, properties, ...
, and heteroaromatic ligands, are introduced to the product line.
1960s, 70s, and 80s
In the 1960s, the company developed and produced new high purity redistilled inorganic acids in response.
In the 1960s, Allyne Smith retired and turned control of G. Frederick Smith Chemical Company over to Darrell Hutchinson, his son-in-law, to run as President and CEO.[
In the 70s, the company . collaborated with ]Motorola
Motorola, Inc. () was an American multinational telecommunications company based in Schaumburg, Illinois. It was founded by brothers Paul and Joseph Galvin in 1928 and had been named Motorola since 1947. Many of Motorola's products had been ...
on the first ceric ammonium nitrate-based chrome etchants for use in early computer chip
An integrated circuit (IC), also known as a microchip or simply chip, is a set of electronic circuits, consisting of various electronic components (such as transistors, resistors, and capacitors) and their interconnections. These components a ...
s.[ The firm became the sole US manufacturer of perchloric acid after Hooker ]Occidental Petroleum
Occidental Petroleum Corporation (often abbreviated Oxy in reference to its ticker symbol and logo) is an American company engaged in hydrocarbon exploration in the United States and the Middle East as well as petrochemical manufacturing in the ...
) decides to abandon that field.
G. Frederick Smith died in 1976.
In the 80s, Instantwhip and G. Frederick Chemical Co. parted ways following a stock swap agreement between those with ownership stakes in both of the firms.
1990s
In the 1990s, G. Frederick Smith Chemical Co. shortened its name to GFS Chemicals, Inc. and acquired Ericsen Instruments' Karl Fischer reagent
In analytical chemistry, Karl Fischer titration is a classic titration method that uses coulometric or volumetric titration to determine trace amounts of water in a sample. It was invented in 1935 by the German chemist Karl Fischer. Today, the ...
business (now the Watermark brand), and several other specialty organic product lines from Farchan Laboratories and Shawnee Chemical Company.[
In the 90s, GFS became ISO 9001:2008 Certified.][ A new plant was built specifically for the production of perchloric acid.][ In ___, J. Steel Hutchinson became President of GFS Chemicals.]
2000s
A new organic production facility was built, allowing for the expansion of previously purchased product lines, including liquid ammonia chemistry, silanes
In organosilicon chemistry, silanes are a diverse class of charge-neutral organic compounds with the general formula . The R substituents can be any combination of organic or inorganic groups. Most silanes contain Si-C bonds, and are discussed ...
, acetylenes
\ce
\ce
Acetylene
\ce
\ce
\ce
Propyne
\ce
\ce
\ce
\ce
1-Butyne
In organic chemistry, an alkyne is an unsaturated hydrocarbon containing at least one carbon—carbon triple bond. The simplest acyclic alkynes with only one triple bond and no ...
, and other organics.[
The company acquired APS Analytical Standards, a maker of turbidimeters, colorimeters, and ]spectrometers
A spectrometer () is a scientific instrument used to separate and measure Spectrum, spectral components of a physical phenomenon. Spectrometer is a broad term often used to describe instruments that measure a continuous variable of a phenomeno ...
. This business was moved from California to Columbus.[
Distilled acids demand increased, and GFS expanded its distillation equipment.][ Inorganic and organic research labs were built for continued research and ]quality control
Quality control (QC) is a process by which entities review the quality of all factors involved in production. ISO 9000 defines quality control as "a part of quality management focused on fulfilling quality requirements".
This approach plac ...
testing.[
The company attained ]Society of Chemical Manufacturers and Affiliates
The Society of Chemical Manufacturers and Affiliates, is an international trade association that represents the interests of the batch, custom and specialty chemical industry. According to the organization's charter, SOCMA's stated mission is to ...
(SOCMA) Chem Steward Tier I Certification.[
GFS partnered with Ensign-Bickford Aerospace and Defense for the manufacture of ]Ammonia Borane
Ammonia borane (also systematically named ammoniotrihydroborate), also called borazane, is the chemical compound with the formula . The colourless or white solid is the simplest molecular boron-nitrogen-hydride compound. It has attracted attention ...
.[
]
2010s
A Catalog Order Distribution Center was purchased on Kaderly Drive on the west side of Columbus; it now houses all GFS catalog fulfillment activities, private labeling and analytical laboratory reagents manufacturing.
Due to import issues with China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...
, GFS embarked on a research campaign and becomes the only domestically secured chain of supply for cerium
Cerium is a chemical element; it has Chemical symbol, symbol Ce and atomic number 58. It is a hardness, soft, ductile, and silvery-white metal that tarnishes when exposed to air. Cerium is the second element in the lanthanide series, and while it ...
.[
A new grade of ]ceric ammonium nitrate
Ceric ammonium nitrate (CAN) is the inorganic compound with the formula . This orange-red, water-soluble cerium salt is a specialised oxidizing agent in organic synthesis and a standard oxidant in quantitative analysis.
Preparation, properties, ...
was introduced with tighter metal
A metal () is a material that, when polished or fractured, shows a lustrous appearance, and conducts electrical resistivity and conductivity, electricity and thermal conductivity, heat relatively well. These properties are all associated wit ...
s tolerances for use as an electronics-grade etchant component.
The American Association for Laboratory Accreditation (A2LA) expanded accreditation to GFS for ISO/IEC 17025:2005 for turbidity
Turbidity is the cloudiness or haziness of a fluid caused by large numbers of individual particles that are generally invisible to the naked eye, similar to smoke in air. The measurement of turbidity is a key test of both water clarity and wa ...
, pH buffer
A buffer solution is a solution where the pH does not change significantly on dilution or if an acid or base is added at constant temperature. Its pH changes very little when a small amount of strong acid or base is added to it. Buffer solutions ...
s, and conductivity standards.
Divisions of the Company
Inorganic Specialty Materials Division
Located in Columbus, OH, the Inorganic manufacturing facility is the original cornerstone of GFS Chemicals, as first used by G. Frederick Smith.[
]
Organic Specialty Materials Division
Located on River Street Columbus, OH, the Organic manufacturing facility as a location is a relatively new facility. GFS has always performed organic chemistries, however after the acquisition period more space was needed to further develop the business and to explore the future scientific opportunities which could be advanced. These newer developments have at times crossed over with the Inorganic side with anhydrous Lithium Perchlorate
Lithium perchlorate is the inorganic compound with the formula LiClO4. This white or colourless crystalline salt is noteworthy for its high solubility in many solvents. It exists both in anhydrous form and as a trihydrate.
Applications Inorgani ...
in the form of Lithium Perchlorate-Diethyl Ether to promote synthetic organic chemical synthesis in bulk, as an example. They added a Kilo lab and a Distillation lab as well in the proceeding years.
Analytical Reagents and Research Chemicals Catalog Division
Located on Kaderly Drive, Columbus, OH, the newest addition to the GFS landscape is also the oldest business. G. Frederick Smith was spurred to create many of the chemical compounds, especially perchlorates
A perchlorate is a chemical compound containing the perchlorate ion, , the conjugate base of perchloric acid (ionic perchlorate). As counterions, there can be metal cations, quaternary ammonium cations or other ions, for example, nitronium cation ...
and trace metal
Trace metals are the metals subset of trace elements; that is, metals normally present in small but measurable amounts in animal and plant cells and tissues. Some of these trace metals are a necessary part of nutrition and physiology. Some bi ...
perchloric acid, in response to the needs of his colleagues in analytical chemistry
Analytical skill, Analytical chemistry studies and uses instruments and methods to Separation process, separate, identify, and Quantification (science), quantify matter. In practice, separation, identification or quantification may constitute t ...
.[ This tradition is continued here and is the most commonly associated part of the business when a chemist or researcher hears of GFS Chemicals. The ]trace metal
Trace metals are the metals subset of trace elements; that is, metals normally present in small but measurable amounts in animal and plant cells and tissues. Some of these trace metals are a necessary part of nutrition and physiology. Some bi ...
acids are especially popular among researchers who are looking to digest organics for study without the risk of metal contamination.[ Recently the American Association of Laboratory Accreditation expanded the accreditation to meet ISO/IEC 17025:2005 for the standards and buffers produced here as well as EPA approval for the AMCO Clear® line of ]turbidity
Turbidity is the cloudiness or haziness of a fluid caused by large numbers of individual particles that are generally invisible to the naked eye, similar to smoke in air. The measurement of turbidity is a key test of both water clarity and wa ...
standards.
References
External links
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{{Authority control
Chemical companies of the United States
Research support companies
Companies based in the Columbus, Ohio metropolitan area
Chemical companies established in 1924
1924 establishments in Illinois
Privately held companies of the United States