Chemical Analysis Laboratories
Chemical analysis determines what a material is made of, using techniques such as chromatography, spectroscopy, spectrometry and wet chemistry selected to match the analyte and matrix.
What does it measure?
- Composition and concentration
- Contaminants and residues
- Unknown material identification
- Impurity profiles
- Additive and formulation components
When is it used?
- Specification conformance and certificates of analysis
- Contamination and defect investigations
- Formulation comparison and reverse engineering support
- Regulatory and restricted-substance screening
Sample considerations
- Sample quantity depends on the technique and the detection level required.
- Use clean, inert containers appropriate to the analyte and avoid cross-contamination.
- State the suspected matrix and the question you need answered.
Laboratories with relevant capabilities
- Exponent (Menlo Park, CA) — Failure Analysis, Metallurgical Analysis, Mechanical Testing
- Q Laboratories (Cincinnati, OH) — Microbiology, Chemical Analysis, Food Testing
- Ceutical Labs (Flower Mound, TX) — Analytical Chemistry, Microbiology Testing, Physical Testing
- Element Materials Technology (Aberdeen, Scotland) — Materials Testing, Mechanical Testing, Metallurgical Analysis
- Laboratory Testing Inc. (Hatfield, PA) — Materials Testing, Mechanical Testing, Chemical Analysis
- IMR Test Labs (Ithaca, NY) — Materials Testing, Chemical Analysis, Metallurgical Analysis
Frequently asked questions
- How much sample is needed?
- It varies by technique and required detection limit. Sending more than the minimum gives the laboratory room to repeat or confirm a result.
- Can a laboratory identify a completely unknown substance?
- Often it can identify the major components and likely class of material. A complete formulation reconstruction is rarely possible from analysis alone.
Confirm standard edition, jurisdiction and actual laboratory scope. Service references are not partnerships or endorsements.