one year on and I still cannot get chemicals

[Peter Apps]

I posted this just over a year ago, and nothing is any better.

Is it only Africa, or is every lab in the world grinding to a halt because they can't get supplies?

"Where is everyone getting their chemicals, consumables and general lab stuff ? I am working in Botswana, and the supply chains (which were never the best anyway) have unravelled completely; an ordinary chemical that I ordered in January arrived this afternoon, huge numbers of items that Merck sells are on back order, and Fisher Scientific has stopped replying to e-mails. Occasionally I buy from China, but payments can be a nightmare and the shipping (by Fedex) is hopelessly eratic.

Is there a supplier that ships to Africa, holds stock, and doesn't take months to deliver ?

Thanks, Peter"

[James_Ball]

It is not as bad here now, but we still run into back ordered goods often. Our problem is especially anything plastic, from sample tubes to pipette tips.

Crazy thing we also keep getting back ordered is compressed gas. Helium I understand a little, but Nitrogen? Our supplier has trouble with Ultra High Purity Nitrogen, even if we need only 3 cylinders per week. We use just enough that we would really need two generators to carry the load, but the prices are cheap enough to make buying the generators difficult to justify, but if the shortages keep occurring it might make it a good idea anyway.

[Peter Apps]

Thanks James

I use very few plastic consumables, and very little gas, but I need a variety of organic compounds in small quantities for confirming MS indentifications and pilot testing. Merck is permanently back-ordered on everything I want, and their local agent is hopeless. Thermo-Fisher's local agent claimed they did not supply compounds that were on their website, and then told me to buy direct from Fisher UK, who don't answer e-mails. Everyone else I find online is a dealer for Merch or Thermo Fisher, who have swallowed up everyone else - are there any other big suppliers ?

[DR]

VWR, Cole-Parmer, TRC, TCI?

[lmh]

It's so frustrating, and the worst is that it's so hit-and-miss. Even here in the UK you can order a derivatising reagent and it might arrive in 2 days or 4 months (or more). Buying speciality chemicals from non-mainstream suppliers is high-risk; they might not be what they say they are, and unless you happen to have an NMR, you might never know. For speciality stuff, people like Cayman are growing in appeal.

[James_Ball]

Thanks James

I use very few plastic consumables, and very little gas, but I need a variety of organic compounds in small quantities for confirming MS indentifications and pilot testing. Merck is permanently back-ordered on everything I want, and their local agent is hopeless. Thermo-Fisher's local agent claimed they did not supply compounds that were on their website, and then told me to buy direct from Fisher UK, who don't answer e-mails. Everyone else I find online is a dealer for Merch or Thermo Fisher, who have swallowed up everyone else - are there any other big suppliers ?

I don't know if they have what you need but we have ordered from this group when we could not get things from Fisher before.

https://beantownchem.com/

[Peter Apps]

VWR, Cole-Parmer, TRC, TCI?

None of them have local agents, or if they do they are unreliable at best.

I could order online from their USA or Europe branches, but our payment system makes that cumbersome and I then have to deal with onstructive bureaucracy to get shipments into Botswana.

[Peter Apps]

Thanks James

I don't know if they have what you need but we have ordered from this group when we could not get things from Fisher before.

https://beantownchem.com/

I'll give them a try - thwere are actually several companies that carry what I need (though none of them has the wide selection that Sigma-Aldrich lists as being back-ordered) but the logistics of ordering from the USA or Europe over the internet are daunting.

[rb6banjo]

Of all things, we're having trouble getting ultrazero air tanks. There's an abundance of air. I don't understand this one at all.

[Peter Apps]

rb6banjo I have a strong suspicion that COVID was such a good excuse for ineptitude that it has become a habit. It has taken me six months to get the SA Leco agents to send me a capillary column that they had in hand, fully paid for, in January.

I am thinking of trying this sourcing platform https://www.molport.com/shop/index , does anyone have any experience with it?

[AICMM]

Peter,

Late to the game as usual. Have you looked at Chemservice?

Best regards,

AICMM

[Peter Apps]

Peter,

Late to the game as usual. Have you looked at Chemservice?

Best regards,

AICMM

Thanks, Matthew

I had a look at Chemservince but they did not have the one compound that definitely works as a predator deterrent; 3-mercapto-3-methylbutanol.

I am now sourcing from BLDpharm who are quick to respond and to deliver. Then stuff gets held up by customs!

All the best for the New Year.

Peter