December, 2011, Maryland Heights, MO - Chemir gained five new instruments in 2011, with the acquisition of a new FTIR, LC-MS, MDSC, TGA, and TMA. In addition to enhancing the independent laboratory’s problem solving services, these instruments expanded Chemir’s capabilities in plastic and polymer testing.
Chemir’s new Fourier Transform Infrared Spectrometer (FTIR) is a Nicolet 6700-FTIR Advanced Gold spectrometer, configured to work in both the near infrared and the mid infrared. Compound identification is aided with a searchable library of over 70,000 spectra. Additionally, the instrument has an attached Continuum IR microscope. It can be operated in transmittance, reflectance, and Micro-ATR mode, and the automatic stage configuration allows for the chemometric mapping of surfaces. These features will greatly facilitate identification of small particles, and allow for rapid contaminant identification and surface analysis of organic and polymeric materials.
The company also gained a new Thermo LTQ ion trap LC-MS system. This versatile instrument, with a mass range of 50-4000 m/z, is capable of full scan, selected ion monitoring, selected reaction monitoring, consecutive reaction monitoring, and zoom scan in both positive and negative ion modes. An Agilent 1100 HPLC serves as the front end to provide separation of complex mixtures before being analyzed by mass spectrometry. This instrument increased the range of materials analyzed by LC-MS, with enhanced detection limits of ionizable analytes.
Thermal analysis techniques are key tools for the characterization of polymers and polymer-containing products. Chemir gained a Modulated Differential Scanning Calorimeter (MDSC) and Thermo Gravimetric Analyzer (TGA). MDSC measures the heat flow across a sample as the temperature is varied. This allows chemists to observe fusion, crystallization, glass transition, and melting point temperatures. This information can be used to identify materials, confirm material purity, and give insight into the source of material failures. TGA measures the mass of a sample as the temperature is varied up to a temperature of 1000C. This often allows for the easy quantitation of multiple components of a complex material, as each individual component will volatilize or decompose at a specific temperature. The inorganic materials that do not volatilize or decompose even at 1000C are easily quantified by the final mass reading at the end of the analysis.
Chemir also added a Q400 Thermal Mechanical Analysis (TMA), further expanding thermal analysis capabilities applied in the characterization of polymers, coatings and composites. The Q400 is the industry standard-grade TMA, with unmatched flexibility in operating modes, test probes, fixtures and available signals. The Q400 TMA is designed to measure a sample’s linear or volumetric change as a function of temperature, time or force. This data provides valuable information on coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE), penetration, glass transition temperature, softening and flow, and creep/stress relaxation.
These instruments complement Chemir’s problem solving capabilities for plastics and polymers. These materials are used in a wide variety of industries, including medical devices, toys, consumer products, construction materials and more. Chemir’s scientists use multiple techniques to solve difficult problems, and the addition of new instrumentation reflects our commitment to customized solutions.
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