Contaminant Identification
When a contaminant is found in a plastic product or polymer material, we understand that determining the source of the unexpected material is often as important as its identity. We specialize in off-odor, off-color analyses, and identification of foreign particles when a lot or a little is known about the manufacturing process. In many cases, our results have given our clients the clues to uncover the problem in the manufacturing environment, storage conditions, or the quality of raw materials.
Our laboratories are equipped to quickly screen solid materials with SEM/EDS or FT-IR spectroscopy, or liquid samples with GC/MS, LC/MS, or UV-Vis spectroscopy. In either phase, ICP/OES and CVAA will find trace metals and mercury. These techniques will not only detect low concentrations, such as ppb, they can be applied to very small amounts of material, nearly eliminating a common concern for sample volume. Once the contaminant is positively identified, quantification is often within reach.
Yet instrumentation is not the most crucial element of our work. Our strength as a service company lies first in developing an efficient, strategic approach dependent upon the sample matrix and the suspected level of contamination. Comparison studies between control and suspect samples typically yield the fastest, most conclusive results. Finally, after assembling the necessary data, we work closely with our clients to interpret the analytical results so that they may find the contamination source and implement effective corrective actions.