Microscopy lab laboratories in Chelmsford
3 min readMicroscopy laboratories by MicroVision Laboratories? In Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) Spectroscopy samples are subjected to a broad frequency spectrum of infrared light which spans the energies of intramolecular vibrations, especially in organic compounds. The pattern and intensity of frequencies absorbed by a sample are plotted, which gives structural information about the chemical bonding state of the material. Organic compounds, which are generally very similar from an elemental standpoint, can be separated and identified using these structural fingerprints. Read extra info on follow link to ftir analysis.
Conclusion: Based on the analytical report, the client was able to demonstrate that the particles were consistent with a common aspirin tablet. When the end customer was approached with this report, they remembered that their spouse had taken an aspirin earlier that morning, and had likely used the bottle of water in question to do so. Based on this, the customer was happy, the manufacturing client was satisfied, and the sample was maintained – undestroyed should someone need to examine the sample again or do any more esoteric testing. For an affordable price, the client was able to get piece of mind, and gather information from a very wide range of testing methods quickly and accurately.
Also, the color EDS map highlights the iron particles in the mineral filled PVC floor. These iron particles were concentrated in areas were the tile showed signs of impact which indicated some metallic object impacted the tile leaving behind small particles and over time the materials oxidized which created darker spots in the tile. The data indicated that a significant portion of the dust was from the insulation in the attic. The contractor had replaced a portion of duct work running to the master bedroom. During this replacement, fiberglass insulation was knocked into the ducting. The small glass insulation fibers were spread through the AC ducts and settling out of the air throughout the house. The client was relieved to know what was causing their skin irritation and the significant dust build up. Using the results garnered from the analysis from MicroVision Labs they were able to have the contractor clean out the duct work and act to prevent further spread of the insulation fibers and properly clean up the settled dust in the house that was the cause of the homeowner’s skin irritation.
Do you do any animal testing? No. Do you analyze any tissue samples or blood samples? No. We do not do any blood analyses and we are not set up to prepare tissue samples. What are some of the cool samples you have looked at under the scanning electron microscope? We have seen 10,000 year old Wolly Mammoth hair, meteorites, an artificial heart valve, civil war bullets, insulin pumps, rare colonial coins, a kidney stone, and a few things we can’t talk about. But some of the more mundane samples, like wood or salt crystals, have proven to be extremely interesting subjects to image.
Examining the sample with a polarized light microscope (PLM), it was darker and coarser than expected for a mold sample. The dust appeared to be a closed cell, synthetic blown foam material, and all from the same source. The black color was likely due to pigment particles added to color the foam. Fourier Transform Infra-Red spectroscopy was performed on the foam particles. The spectrum showed a mixture of spectral features, associated with vinyl acetates, polyurethane, and cellulose or other sugar-like polymers. Based on these features, a common urethane acetate foam was determined as the likely source material.
MicroVision Laboratories, Inc. has been providing businesses, consultants and other testing laboratories with expert microscopy and analytical services since 2003. Our client base covers a broad spectrum of industries including semi-conductors, aerospace, electronics, biomedical, ceramics, optics, pharmaceuticals, mineralogy, metallurgy, thin films, environmental, membranes filtration and industrial hygiene. See a few more info at https://microvisionlabs.com/.