A company is developing a chemical sensor for organic toxic agents. They use a polymer matrix (PDMS) treated with a carbon mixture to make the polymer "sticky" to the molecules of interest. To detect the presence of absence of a chemical on the sticky polymer, an ultraviolet laser illuminates the device and the resulting fluorescence examined. The company has noticed, however, that their devices degrade after about 1 week of use. They need to know if the UV light is causing the underlying polymer to degrade or if the polymer treatment causes a degradation, and if so, what can be done about it. To find the answer, they call Fortnight.

Together, the Fortnight Associate and the client write a Request describing the client's needs. The Request reads:

A company needs to understand the interaction between coherent UV light and polymer (PDMS) and polymer treated with carbon. Under what circumstances does the polymer degrade, what are the failure modes, and what can be done to minimize the degradation?

Leads sent in response from the Fortnight Network include:

"I have been working at University ABC in the Chemical Engineering department. Our research is on polymer-optical interactions. There are several articles I have read that, with a little more literature review, could provide the basis for an answer to the client's questions. Effects of this type of polymer treatment have also been studied. I am not as familiar with them, but I know where to find the information."

"My company is involved in making on-chip biological detection devices for DNA screening. We use similar processes for detection, although we focus on substantially different molecules than does the client."

"We are a major chemical manufacturer and produce a wide variety of polymers. We do extensive lifetime testing under numerous conditions. I am not sure if we can be of service in this case, but we may be able to help. In fact, we would be interested in learning the answer, too."

The client is most interested in having the university researcher look into what has been reported in the literature and, through contacts with the client, writing up a summary of the most likely effects responsible for the polymer degradation. The client also wishes to talk in more detail with the on-chip biological detection company if they are not a potential competitor. Fortnight looks into the background of this potential Solution Provider and, after getting their permission, releases their name to the client to see if they feel comfortable speaking directly with one another. All the Experts whose Leads were presented to the client are rewarded, and the two whose Leads the client decided to pursue are additionally compensated a substantial amount after working with the client.

DISCLAIMER: This is a contrived example. Any semblance to any existing company or problem is merely coincidental.