Scientific material characterization is an essential part of modern life. It’s what allows us to understand what substances are made of, how they will react to different environments and stimuli, and what they should and should NOT be used for.
Virtually every industry operating today requires expert material characterization services at some point during their product testing or manufacturing processes. Experts use a variety of material characterization methods depending on the information they need to find out about the materials they are analyzing.
Innovatech specializes in “innovative solutions for materials analysis.” Our experts use material characterization to help our clients gather the information they need to make their products safe and effective. This is what you should know about our process and the methods we use.
What is scientific material characterization?
Material characterization includes a broad category of tests and procedures used to analyze and understand the structure and properties of a material as comprehensively as possible.
A wide variety of different material characterization methods can help analysts uncover information about the chemical, physical, mechanical, and electrical properties of different materials. This information helps them understand exactly how these materials will react to different stimuli and environments and help determine what the material should and should not be used for.
Professional scientific material characterization uses specialized equipment and procedures such as microscopy, spectrometry, and chemical testing to ascertain the structure and properties of materials on a molecular or atomic level. This depth of testing is necessary if the elemental bonds of a given material could affect its reactions to stimuli.
For example, even tiny issues in the manufacturing of stainless steel can alter chemical properties enough to compromise the ability to resist corrosion. Innovatech frequently uses ESCA to test stainless steel products to ensure they have the correct chemical composition.
Why is material characterization important?
Material characterization is essential for both developing new materials and for conducting comprehensive quality assurance testing. Whenever a manufacturer creates a new metal alloy or polymer or ceramic, for example, they will need to meticulously characterize both the materials they used to create their new product and the product itself.
By understanding the physical, mechanical, and chemical properties of the new material they have created, manufacturers can ensure that it will perform exactly the way they need it to. They will also uncover any properties of the material that may alter its composition and/or performance under certain circumstances—with potentially disastrous consequences. This is what makes the process such an important element of quality assurance.
For example, a plastics manufacturer could use material characterization methods to discover that the polymer they created warps more than it should under high temperatures, compromising its effectiveness. In this case, they would have to caution users against placing the material in these temperatures.
If the product’s intended use would place it in those temperatures regularly, they would have to go even further. They would use material characterization techniques to reverse engineer the elements of the polymer material that are causing the temperature problem, then correct them in subsequent engineering to produce a proper version of their product.
Even if there’s nothing “wrong” with a component or product, many manufacturers use material characterization to look for ways they could improve what they have created. For example, one of Innovatech’s food service clients was considering switching to a new vegetable oil for their product. We tested both oils to arrive at the conclusion that the new oil was healthier than the original, but might affect the taste of the food product.
What kind of material characterization methods does Innovatech use?
Innovatech is a materials testing lab specializing in the analysis of unique and unknown materials. Instead of performing only routine materials characterization, our experts work directly with clients to determine which analytical techniques will most comprehensively characterize the material we’re looking into and provide the client with the data they need.
A few of the most common methods Innovatech uses include:
- Fourier Transform Infrared Spectrometry (FTIR): FTIR is often the first step we take in material characterization because it’s fast, accurate, and simple. It works by shining infrared light onto a sample and measuring how the elements within the sample absorb it. FTIR is frequently used for quality assurance and material characterization in manufacturing.
- Auger Electron Spectrometry (AES): During AES, a device passes an electron beam over the surface of a solid sample. This forces that sample to emit photoelectrons, which provide information about the composition of the surface of the sample. We use AES to identify the elemental composition of small conductive or semi-conductive areas. For example, we’ve used AES to determine why a magnetic disk crashed.
- Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC): DSC measures how materials behave under different temperatures over time, making it very useful for characterizing materials that will be placed in extreme and/or fluctuating temperatures during their regular use. DSC is very commonly used in polymer testing.
- Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry (GC/MS): GC/MS works by volatilizing a sample in order to separate out all the compounds within it. This allows each compound to be identified and quantified. We frequently use GC/MS to determine the purity of essential oils.
- Ion Chromatography (IC): IC is useful because it provides both qualitative and quantitative information about a material’s composition. It works by separating the anions and cations to produce a chromatogram we can check against reference material. Innovatech has used IC to identify residual chlorine on a medical device.
- Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM): SEM captures high-resolution images of a sample’s surface at the magnification level of up to 100,000 times, providing valuable information on that sample’s topography and composition. It works by scanning a sample with a focused beam of electrons. Many industries commonly use SEM, including cosmetics and food processing.
How can I get material characterization?
If your organization requires professional material characterization for any reason, get in touch with Innovatech. Our experts will help determine which methods are right for your sample and produce the data you require.
Leave a Reply