Application Notebook-02-01-2009

Detection of contaminants in consumer products is a critical public-safety need. One of the challenges of this type of detection is that the contaminant chosen is frequently designed to "fool" the routine product-safety testing performed. For example, melamine as the adulterant of choice to lower the cost of milk is because melamine contains nitrogen molecules.

Raman spectroscopy is a well-accepted, powerful tool for material identification, and the ability of a Raman spectrometer to acquire spectra through plastic and glass packaging materials protects sample integrity and greatly reduces analysis time.

Confirming the water content of pharmaceuticals and food during processing is critical for GmP results. The ability to measure water content until recently has been a difficult challenge until now. As a result of developments in the telecom industry, NIR spectrometers offer highly repeatable, cost effective solutions.

And as usual, Spectroscopy will not simply be a spectator at Pittcon, as we have a great many new products to offer as well.

The new technique of dynamic multi-mode spectroscopy (DMS) was used to study the stability of a monoclonal antibody biotherapeutic formulated in acetate and lactate buffers. The samples were measured several times over a period of weeks and it became apparent that the antibody behaved differently as it aged in the two formulations, with the lactate formulation imparting greater robustness than the acetate.

Some powders and rough surfaced solids change color as a function of temperature, a phenomenon known as thermochromism. Such phenomena can be effectively studied by UV-Visible spectroscopy in combination with a diffuse reflection accessory equipped with temperature-controlled reaction chamber, as demonstrated here with a thermal paint.

Abstract

Energy generation using photovoltaic devices is regarded as an important component in overcoming future energy shortages. This is reflected in a dramatic increase in photovoltaic production and demand. In the research and development of photovoltaic devices, the primary goals are to increase the conversion efficiency of the solar cells or to improve the production process. The following study describes the application of Confocal Raman Imaging for the analysis of stress fields around laser-drilled holes on a Si solar cell using the large area scanning capabilities of the WITec alpha500 Confocal Raman Microscope.

The authors discuss the use of ICP-MS as an effective chromatographic detection method that is relatively easy to interface to gas chromatography for gas analysis.

Cardiovascular diseases are among the most important causes of death in The Netherlands. It is of great importance to be able to detect these diseases at an early stage. However, current methods that use classical risk factors such as cholesterol and blood pressure do not come up to the mark.

Global warming is seen as a growing problem across the world. One of the major contributing factors to global warming is greenhouse gas emissions and particulates emitted from automobiles. In an attempt to control the particulate emissions from motor vehicles, limits have been placed on the amount of elements such as Sulfur allowed in automotive fuels. Currently in the US, the EPA tier 2 regulations have set the limit for S in road fuels (Gasoline, Diesel and Biodiesel) at 150 ppm.

Infrared spectroscopy has long been recognized as a selective and sensitive technique for analysis and characterization of surfaces. From material identification to quantitative analysis, infrared analyses can establish if a surface is composed of the correct material, has the proper coating thickness, is free of contaminants, is properly cured, or has the correct properties for the next step in a manufacturing process.

A method for the determination of elemental impurities in solid silver samples was developed using a spark ablation accessory in combination with ICP-OES. Detection limits at the sub-ppm level were achieved along with good accuracy and precision.

It is shown that the Retsch CryoMill polymers are ground to a significantly smaller fineness compared to other methods. Especially for inhomogeneous materials, small particles are the key for a high reproducibility.

Improvements in engineering and manufacturing processes and tools have rapidly lowered the cost to make products, and to distribute them. The next generation of optical sensing technologies will offer a framework for the creation and testing of new business models based upon the distribution of knowledge and service. In fact, this concept of "distributed sensing" already has emerged in networked systems monitoring various aspects of the environment.

Building on more than 10 years of Micro-XRF experience, the Orbis spectrometer yields a system with excellent Micro-XRF capability while setting a new standard in analytical flexibility. The Orbis incorporates a unique motorized turret integrating video and X-ray optics allowing coaxial sample view and X-ray analysis. The turret can accommodate two additional collimators along with the X-ray optic for a total of three X-ray beam sizes to expand the Orbis analytical capabilities beyond traditional Micro-XRF analysis. Primary beam filters can be used with all spot sizes available on the turret to allow true XRF analytical capabilities in a micro-spot analysis. The working distance is increased to allow analysis over rougher sample topography without sacrificing signal intensity.