Analytical & Characterization Services

Our fully equipped analytical and characterization laboratories offer a broad range of high-quality testing services. This includes materials testing and evaluation, unknown determination, analytical consultation, customer specific method development, third party validation, data interpretation and documentation.

Analytical and characterization facilities includes:

Separation Chromatography

  • High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC – RI &/or PDA)
  • Ultra-Performance Liquid Chromatography (Acquity UPLC- PDA &/or MS)
  • Gas Chromatography (GC-FID, Headspace-GC-TCD or FID or MS)
  • Gel Permeation Chromatography (GPC, APC)
  • Preparatory HPLC or GPC-RI
  • Ion Chromatography (IC)

Thermal Analysis

  • Differential Scanning Calorimeter (DSC)
  • Modulated Differential Scanning Calorimeter (MDSC)
  • Dynamic Mechanical Analysis (DMA)
  • Thermo Gravimetric Analysis (TGA)
  • Thermal Conductivity and Diffusivity
  • Melt Flow Index (MFI)
  • Rheology (temperature & frequency sweep)
  • Brookfield Viscometer
  • Reaction Calorimetry (RC)

Mechanical Analysis

  • Instron
  • Profilometry (contact and non-contact)
  • Contact Angle, Surface Energy
  • Surface Area Analysis (BET)
  • Slip and Friction testing
  • Scratch and Abrasion Testing

Elemental Analysis, Titrations

  • Inductively Coupled Plasma (ICP-OES)
  • Elemental Determination  (C, H, N, O, S)
  • Karl Fischer
  • Potentiometric Titrations (pH, acid, amine numbers)
  • Conductometric Titrations

Microscopy

  • Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM)
  • Scanning Electron Microscopy with Electron Dispersive Spectroscopy (SEM-EDS)
  • Scanning Electron Microscopy with Back Scattering Emissions (SEM-BSE)
  • Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM)
  • Optical Microscopy with 3D Imaging and Low Temperature
  • Powder X-ray Diffraction (XRD)

Spectroscopy

  • Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (Bruker 400 MHz NMR  nuclei 1H, 13C, 31P,  15N, 19F)
  • Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FT-IR)
  • Ultraviolet-Visible Spectroscopy (UV-Vis)
  • Fluorescence Spectroscopy
  • Colorimetric Analysis

Particle Characterization

  • Particle Size Analysis (Coulter Multisizer for micron and Nanotrac for nano-size particles)
  • Particle Shape (Sysmex FPIA 3000)
  • Zeta Potential (Malvern Zetasizer)

[t]Testimonials[/t]

Characterization Solution for Mother Parkers Tea & Coffee

A Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) study was conducted to assess and understand packaging material adhesion properties. Cross-sectional samples with two different orientations were generated and imaged at different magnifications to determine how well the layers adhered to each other. Both optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy were used to provide representative images. Beautiful, clear images were provided to Mother Parkers Tea & Coffee detailing the materials characteristics. The team at the Xerox Research Centre of Canada were professional, flexible, friendly, and worked to help us achieve our technical and business needs. (October 2016)

Analytical Solution for a Client’s Problem

The Analytical Team developed a customized GPC-RI test method for an external client that enabled the identification of undesirable higher molecular weight species present in their samples. Specific molecules relevant to their process were used to produce the customized calibration curve unique to their materials. This GPC method enables semi-quantification of the higher molecular weight species. Confirmation of higher mass species was verified by UPLC-MS equipped with a PDA detector. (October 2016)