Services
Analytical Chemistry
- ferrous and non-ferrous alloy identification
- metallic and non-metallic coating thickness and weight
- failure and performance testing
- product verification: thickness measurements, porosity, PMI
- trace metals in various substrates
- aggregate conformance testing
- polymer identification
- fluid susceptibility (DO160, ABD0100)
- tensile testing
- various other wet and dry chemical analyses.
Forensic Chemistry can include but is not limited to:
- Foreign material identification
- Identification of trace particulate contamination
- Analysis of paint, coatings, and adhesion failures
- Product defects
- Construction defects
Corrosion Analysis
- pitting
- galvanic
- inter-granular
- exfoliation
- erosion, cavitation
- MIC (microbial influence corrosion)
- MIC test kit
- selective leaching
- filiform, crevice
- Stress-Corrosion-Cracking (SCC)
- Environmental Assisted Cracking (EAC)
- corrosion product identification.
Sample Preparation
Most samples that come into our lab are unique and as such, receive special treatment depending on what it is and how it will be analyzed.
Commonly, samples need to be sectioned down to a size suitable for testing. Some samples need to be cleaned with the appropriate solvent. When a sample requires mounting in epoxy and ultra fine polishing, we accomplish that with our polishing tables.
For samples to be examined in the SEM-EDS, it is common for the sample to be sectioned, mounted in epoxy and polished. Some samples can go in as-is. For chemical analysis in the ICP, a metal sample needs to be digested in acid before processing.
Not all samples need to be treated. If the sample is clean and small enough to fit in the chamber of the SEM-EDS or the Spark Spectrometer, in they go! Often a sample will need to be sectioned to fit into the instrument. In order to section your metal sample to the appropriate size for analysis, we may use a precision Metallurgical Cut-off saw or one of the bandsaws.
If you are unsure how much of your sample to send, or any other questions as to how to prepare your sample before submitting it to the lab, please contact Omar directly.